A volcano erupted on Wednesday on Indonesia’s Ternate Island, prompting authorities to close the airport there, an official said.
Mount Gamalama spewed ash 600 metres into the sky after an undersea earthquake measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale, said Sutopo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.
“The Babullah airport is blanketed by volcanic ash and has been closed until 10 a.m. on Thursday,” Sutopo said.
The alert status for the 1,715-metre volcano remained at one notch above normal despite the latest activity, he said.
A volcanic eruption on the resort Island of Lombok on Monday resulted in the temporary closure of the international airport there and cancelled flights from Australia to nearby Bali.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, which is noted for seismic activity and volcanic eruptions. The Indonesian archipelago is home to 127 active volcanoes.
Discussion about this post