Indonesia Evacuates 3,000 Residents After Mount Ibu Volcano Erupts, Raising Alert to Highest Level

Jan 16, 2025, 05:50 AM

Mount Ibu, located on Halmahera Island in Indonesia's North Maluku province, erupted on Wednesday, sending a towering column of smoke and ash up to four kilometers (2.5 miles) into the sky. The eruption prompted Indonesian authorities to raise the volcano's alert status to the highest level, leading to the evacuation of approximately 3,000 residents from five villages near the volcano. The evacuation process, which began on Wednesday evening, faced delays due to administrative and logistical issues, as well as rainfall. By Thursday morning, 517 residents from the closest village had been evacuated, with plans to move the remaining residents later in the day. Local disaster management officials have prepared evacuation shelters for the displaced residents from six villages. The volcano has been increasingly active since June of the previous year, following a series of earthquakes, with this being the fifth eruption in January 2025 alone. Residents and tourists have been advised to avoid a six-kilometer radius around the volcano and to wear masks due to potential ashfall.