A long column of flame.. Mount Ibo volcano in Indonesia erupts, spewing lava

The Indonesian Geological Agency announced on Saturday that a volcano had erupted in the east of the country, releasing hot lava and a column of smoke and ash that reached a height of four kilometers (3.1 miles).
Mount Ibo volcano on Halmahera Island in North Maluku Province exploded at 7:45 pm Central Indonesia Time (11:45 GMT), sending a long column of flame into the sky.
“The lava was detected two kilometers from the eruption center,” Mohamed Wafid, head of the Geological Agency, said in a statement.

Volcanic ash rain

Images from the volcano monitoring center showed a bright red column of flame and thick, dark smoke rising high above its crater.
The state of mobilization to respond to the volcano’s damage is currently at its second highest level, and no new evacuation orders have been issued after visitors and villagers were asked to evacuate areas four to 5.5 kilometers from the center of the volcano.
The agency also urged people to wear masks and goggles in case of rain from volcanic ash.

Volcanoes in Indonesia

Ibo is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, as it erupted more than 2,000 times last year, and more than 700,000 people live on Halmahera Island, according to official figures issued in 2022.
Indonesia witnesses frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Last year, Mount Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi province erupted more than six times, forcing thousands of residents of nearby islands to evacuate.