Indonesia to relocate entire island population amid volcanic eruption threat

Indonesia will permanently relocate the entire population of an island in North Sulawesi province because a volcano is threatening their safety.

Mount Ruang erupted spectacularly last month and has been spewing ash that forced nearby airports to close and flights to be cancelled.

Ruang Island’s population of around 10,000 people is being moved to Bolaang Mongondow on the island of North Sulawesi about 40 kilometers away, Tempo newspaper reported, citing Minister of Public Works and Housing Basuki Hadimuljono. This was agreed upon following a Cabinet meeting with President Joko Widodo.

Simple, permanent homes will be built in the Bolaang Mongondow area for the resettled people, said Coordinating Human Development Minister Muhadjir Effendy on Friday as reported by Tempo.

After the evacuation the government intends to designate Ruang island as a conservation site.

Authorities have issued a state of emergency until May 14, warning of a potential tsunami should parts of the volcano collapse due to the eruptions.

Indonesia, with a population of over 270 million people, sits on the “Ring of Fire” — a series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean — and has more than 100 active volcanoes spread out across thousands of islands including popular tourist destinations.

In 2017 some 40,000 people were evacuated from villages around Mount Agung in Bali when the volcano erupted, causing a temporary slump in tourism and around $1 billion in losses.