A ministry official explained that rain of medium or high intensity could carry volcanic materials that are believed to be accumulating at the volcano's peak down to the villages.
Due to the severe impact of volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi on Sikka, refugees at the two shelters in the district will be gradually shifted to East Flores.
Volcanic thunderstorms arise during an eruption due to high temperatures that heat gas ions.
![Mount Ruang erupted volcanic ash as high as three thousand meters on April 17, 2024. [ANTARA/HO-PVMBG]](https://media.theindonesia.id/thumbs/2024/04/20/94604-mount-ruang-erupted-volcanic-ash-as-high-as-three-thousand-meters-on-17-april-2024/653x366-img-94604-mount-ruang-erupted-volcanic-ash-as-high-as-three-thousand-meters-on-17-april-2024.jpg)
TheIndonesia.id - The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's Geology Agency intensively monitored the activity of Mount Awu and Mount Karangetang in North Sulawesi located in proximity to Mount Ruang.
"We are intensively monitoring Mount Awu as well as other mountains close to Mount Ruang," the agency's volcano working team head, Heruningtyas, stated here on Thursday, as quoted by Antara.
At the press conference held to discuss the increase of Mount Ruang's Status from level II to level III, Heruningtyas remarked that her side monitored the activity of Mount Awu after Mount Ruang ejected volcanic ash up to three thousand meters high on Wednesday (April 17).
She stated that the agency also detected an increase in seismic activity at Mount Awu before the eruption of Mount Ruang.
On Tuesday (April 16), the agency raised the status of Mount Awu and Mount Ruang from Level II (Alert) to III (Standby).
"We did not expect Mount Ruang to erupt first. Its seismic activity escalated quickly," she remarked.
Heruningtyas stated that her side needs to study the correlation between the two mountains first.
"To answer the question of whether the two mountains are interconnected, a special study has to be carried out first," she stressed.
She remarked that in addition to Mount Awu, there is also Mount Karangetang in Siau that is adjacent to Mount Ruang.
"The Mount Karangetang is currently at Level II or Alert," she stated.
The agency recorded a shallow earthquake on Mount Karangetang. However, Heruningtyas said that the earthquake was caused by the explosive activity of Mount Ruang.
"Currently, the seismic activities in Mount Karangetang and Mount Awu have returned to normal," she stated.
On Wednesday (Apr 17), the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reported that Mt. Ruang in Sitaro District, North Sulawesi, erupted volcanic ash as high as three thousand meters.
