Thousands of people were evacuated near Mount Ruang volcano in northern Indonesia yesterday following repeated eruptions since Tuesday. Officials also released a tsunami alert over concerns the 2,400-foot-tall mountain might partially collapse into the sea amid the seismic activity, a phenomenon that claimed over 400 lives on the adjacent island in 1871.
Last erupted in 2002, Mount Ruang is located in the country's North Sulawesi province and is one of over 120 active volcanoes across Indonesia's 17,000 islands. Its ash plumes reportedly reached roughly 13 miles into the stratosphere, dropping rocks several miles from the eruption. Videos showed intense lightning activity in the ash plume as a result of the rapid movement of particles, creating a strong buildup of opposite charges, similar to typical storms (see how it works).
Authorities have implemented a four-square-mile exclusion zone around the eruption. Nearby Tagulandang airport was closed out of caution.
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