On Tuesday, Indonesia’s Ruang volcano erupted, releasing lava and accompanied by lightning flashes in its crater. This prompted authorities to raise the alert level and evacuate over 12,000 residents from the nearby Tagulandang island. The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) had cautioned that a potential tsunami could occur if volcanic material fell into the ocean.

Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) released footage of lightning strikes above Ruang volcano’s crater, with fiery red clouds of lava and rocks thrown into the air. The agency reported that all 843 residents living on Ruang Island, where the volcano is situated, have been evacuated to Manado, the provincial capital located about 100km (62 miles) away. Around 12,000 people from the neighboring Tagulandang Island are being relocated to Siau Island further north, with two ships assisting in the evacuation process.

Rosalin Salindeho, a 95-year-old resident from Tagulandang Island, described her experience after the eruption while in Siau: “The mountain exploded. Wow, it was horrible. There were rains of rocks. Twice. The second one was really heavy, even the houses far away were also hit,” she told.

The volcanology agency reported that the eruption column from Indonesia’s Ruang volcano reached a height of 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) and advised any remaining residents within a 7-kilometer radius, previously set at 6 kilometers, to evacuate immediately, cautioning about potential further “explosive eruptions.”

The eruption coincided with a surge in seismic activity and deep volcanic earthquakes, according to the disaster agency.

Authorities closed Manado’s Sam Ratulangi airport again on Tuesday due to the risk of spreading volcanic ash, according to the airport operator’s Instagram post. The transport ministry announced that the airport would remain closed until noon on Wednesday.

Authorities had downgraded the alert status to level 3 last week but raised it to level 4 again on Tuesday.

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