TERNATE, Indonesia, Jan 15, 2025 (BSS/AFP) - Thousands of islanders are set 
to be evacuated after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia, spewing a 
towering column of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, officials said 
Wednesday.

Mount Ibu, located on the remote island of Halmahera, erupted for a fifth 
time this year on Wednesday, sending a column of smoke four kilometres (2.5 
miles) into the sky.

The volcano's alert status was subsequently raised to the highest level by 
Indonesia's Geological Agency.

"Following the increase in Mount Ibu's (alert) level, today we will evacuate 
residents in five villages," said local disaster management head Wawan 
Gunawan Ali.

He added that local authorities were planning to evacuate approximately 3,000 
residents from nearby villages on Wednesday evening.

Many residents had already gathered in a village hall, ready for evacuation, 
an AFP reporter on the ground reported.

Mount Ibu has shown a significant increase in volcanic activity since last 
June, following a series of earthquakes.

In the first weeks of January alone, the volcano, which is one of Indonesia's 
most active, erupted four times.

Residents living near Mount Ibu and tourists have been advised to avoid a 
five to six kilometre exclusion zone around the volcano's peak and to wear 
face masks in case of falling ash.

As of 2022, around 700,000 people were living on Halmahera island, according 
to official data.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic 
activity as it lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire.

Last November, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,587-foot) twin-
peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores erupted more than a dozen 
times in one week, killing nine people in its initial explosion.

Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times 
last year, forcing thousands from nearby islands to evacuate.