Mount Ibu Erupts in Indonesia, Spewing Ash and Dark Clouds

Mount Ibu, a volcano in Indonesia's North Maluku province, erupted on Monday, spewing thick gray ash and dark clouds 16,400 feet into the sky for five minutes. Officials have raised the alert level for the volcano to the second-highest level, and have prepared evacuation tents for residents living within three miles of the crater.

Mount Ibu Erupts in Indonesia, Spewing Ash and Dark Clouds

A volcano in Indonesia called Mount Ibu erupted on Monday, spewing thick gray ash and dark clouds 16,400 feet into the sky for five minutes, officials said.

The eruption, which occurred at around 2:15 p.m. local time, sent ash and debris raining down on nearby villages. The ash cloud reached a height of 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) and was visible from as far away as the provincial capital of Ternate, located about 100 kilometers (62 miles) to the east.

Officials from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said the eruption was preceded by a series of volcanic earthquakes. The earthquakes are still intense, so there is a possibility of another eruption, officials said.

The PVMBG has raised the alert level for Mount Ibu from 2 to 3, the second-highest level, which widens the radius of the area which should be vacated. The area within three kilometers of the crater is now considered a no-go zone.

Local authorities have prepared evacuation tents, but no evacuation order has been reported yet.

More than 13,000 people live within a 3-mile radius of the northern side of the crater, according to PVMBG chief Hendra Gunawan.

Officials have advised residents and tourists not to conduct any activities within 3 miles of Mount Ibu's crater.

Mount Ibu is a stratovolcano located on the northwest coast of the remote island of Halmahera. It is one of Indonesia's most active volcanoes, and has erupted several times in recent years.

Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people, and has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.