Mount Ruang eruption: Indonesia permanently relocates 10,000 North Sulawesi residents over threat of ash spewing
Indonesia will permanently relocate its entire island population to North Sulawesi province since the volcano threatens their safety.
Mount Ruang erupted spectacularly last month, spewing ash that has forced nearby airports to shut and flights to be canceled.
About 10,000 residents of the island of Ruang are being transferred to Bolaang Mongondow on the island of North Sulawesi, roughly 40 kilometers away, the Tempo newspaper reports, citing the Minister of Public Works and Housing, Basuki Hadimuljono. This was agreed after a cupboard meeting with President Joko Widodo.
As reported by Tempo, easy, everlasting houses can be in-built the Bolaang Mongondow area for the displaced population, Coordinating Minister for Social Development Muhadjir Effendy said on Friday.
Following the evacuation, the federal government intends to designate Ruang Island as a protected area.
Authorities declared a state of emergency until May 14, warning of a possible tsunami that may be a part of the volcano’s collapse following the eruption.
Indonesia, with a population of greater than 270 million, is situated on the “Ring of Fire” – a series of seismic faults across the Pacific Ocean – and has greater than 100 energetic volcanoes spread across hundreds of islands, including popular tourist locations.
In 2017, roughly 40,000 people were evacuated from villages around Mount Agung in Bali after a volcanic eruption, causing a brief collapse in tourism and roughly $1 billion in losses.
