A volcano in Indonesia has erupted at least a thousand times this month, officials said, as the latest eruption prompted fresh evacuation warnings.
Mount Ibu, a remote volcano on Indonesia’s Halmahera Island, has erupted 1,079 times since 1 January, according to the country’s Geological Agency.
In its most recent eruption on Sunday, the volcano sent a 1.5km-high column of ash into the sky, with some of its eruptions going up to 4km-high, prompting officials to call for the evacuation of 3,000 residents from six nearby villages.
Despite the danger, only 517 residents have been evacuated so far, with many refusing to leave their homes due to ongoing crop harvests and familiarity with the volcano’s frequent activity.
“There might be economic considerations, as many residents are in the middle of harvesting crops. However, we will continue to educate the community and encourage them to evacuate,” Adietya Yuni Nurtono told AFP news agency, the military commander overseeing a safe shelter.
Authorities advised residents and tourists to avoid a five- to six-kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano’s peak and wear face masks to protect against falling ash.
The Geological Agency recorded 17 eruptions on Sunday alone, with ash plumes ranging from 300m to 4km above the volcano’s peak. Observers at the Mount Ibu Observation Post reported loud rumbling sounds accompanying the eruptions and thick grey ash drifting southwest.
Mount Ibu, which has been erupting sporadically since 1998, is categorised as a stratovolcano, known for its explosive activity and frequent ash emissions. Its current activity has significantly intensified, with eruptions now occurring daily.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, is home to more than 120 active volcanoes, making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
In recent years, the country has experienced several deadly eruptions. In November 2024, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the island of Flores erupted more than a dozen times, killing nine people in its initial explosion. Similarly, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted multiple times last year, forcing thousands of residents to evacuate nearby islands.
