In Indonesia, Mount Ibu, located in North Maluku province, erupted prompting the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation to issue a flight alert. The volcano, situated in the West Halmahera regency, expelled a column of ash that reached up to three km into the sky, and the resulting brown cloud drifted northwest of the volcano.
Residents living on the slopes of the mountain, as well as tourists, have been banned from entering a 4 km radius around the crater. Additionally, the danger zone has been extended to 5.5 km in the northern areas. During ashfall, communities engaging in outdoor activities are advised to wear face masks, sunglasses, and nose protectors.
In 2023, a total of 21,100 eruptions had been recorded from the volcano, making it the second most active volcano in Indonesia after Mount Merapi. Ibu’s activities followed a series of eruptions from different volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’ and has 127 active volcanoes.
