Indonesian volcano eruption forces evacuations, airport closure

 Indonesia shut a provincial airport and evacuated hundreds of people from the vicinity of the Ruang volcano after it belched explosive plumes of lava, rocks and ash for days, Reuters reports.

Officials have declared the highest alert on the situation. Wednesday's dramatic eruption of the volcano on a remote island in the province of North Sulawesi threw a fiery-red column of lava, incandescent rock and ash as much as three km into the sky, the report adds.

More than 800 people were evacuated from the area, with authorities widening the evacuation zone further after the volcanology agency raised the alert status. One of the agency officials said the potential for further eruption is still high.

Transport authorities shut the airport in the provincial capital of Manado to protect against the showers of ash from the eruption.

Officials have cordoned off an area of six kilometres around the volcano and are evacuating more residents, some from the neighbouring island of Tagulandang, Reuters adds citing Abdul Muhari, spokesperson of the disaster mitigation agency.

About 1,500 of those in high-risk areas needed to be immediately evacuated, he added, while almost 12,000 more stand to be affected.

Officials have also flagged the risk of a tsunami if parts of the mountain collapse into the ocean below. About 400 people were killed in a tsunami unleashed by a previous eruption of the volcano in 1871.