Eruption of Mount Ibu in Indonesia Leads to Closure of Nearby International Airport

The Ibu volcano in Eastern Indonesia erupted several times on Tuesday, according to the country's volcanic monitoring agency, prompting an increased alert level, evacuations, and the closure of a nearby international airport. The Ibu volcano has erupted more than six times since the beginning of April, leading to the evacuation of over six thousand people, with authorities confirming it still poses a danger. The volcanic agency stated that the Ibu volcano, located in North Sulawesi province, erupted around 1:15 AM local time on Tuesday (17:15 UTC) and again twice in the morning, spewing an ash column rising over five kilometers. A six-kilometer exclusion zone has been re-established around the volcano, which stands at an elevation of 725 meters above sea level. The agency warned residents of the "danger of ejected molten rocks and hot clouds, as well as the possibility of a tsunami due to the materials from the eruption falling into the sea."