Tsunami alert issued following Indonesian volcano eruption, thousands evacuated

Mount Ruang, a volcano located on Ruang Island in North Sulawesi Province, Indonesia, has experienced at least five significant eruptions over the past 24 hours starting from Tuesday night. The first eruption occurred at 9:45 pm local time and continued into Wednesday. The alert level for the 725-meter (2,379-foot) high mountain was raised to the highest level due to concerns of a potential collapse into the sea causing a tsunami. Initially, over 800 people were evacuated from Ruang Island to Tagulandang Island. However, the number of people ordered to evacuate has since increased to over 11,000. The eruptions were triggered by recent earthquakes in the area and have sent billowing clouds of smoke and ash into the sky. Videos posted on social media show a glowing cloud with streaks of lightning above the volcano. Officials are urging people to stay away from the mountain and the 6km (3.7 miles) exclusion zone around it, which includes parts of Tagulandang Island. There have been no reports of deaths or injuries as of yet.