Manado Airport, the closest to the volcano that has erupted frequently in recent days in northern Indonesia, has been closed due to the dispersal of volcanic ash, according to the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation on Thursday. The Ruang volcano erupted on Tuesday evening, spewing a cloud of ash that reached over a kilometer in height. Eruptions at the Ruang volcano in Indonesia sent ash thousands of feet high and led to the evacuation of thousands of people.
As a result, the alert level for the volcano, which rises 725 meters, was raised from level three to level four on Wednesday evening, the highest in the adopted classification system, as authorities warned of the possibility of a tsunami due to debris falling into the sea.
Ambar Suryo, the director of the local airport authority, stated in a release that the airport was closed "due to the dispersion of volcanic ash which could compromise aviation safety." The airport also operates domestic and international flights to Singapore, South Korea, and China. Additionally, emergency services began evacuating thousands of people on Thursday who are at risk due to the volcanic eruption, with residents advised to remain no closer than six kilometers from the volcano.
