Manado Airport Still Paralyzed, Residents Around Mount Ruang Evacuated

Management has extended the closure of Sam Ratulangi Airport, Manado, due to the impact of the Mount Ruang eruption.

HUMAS SAR MANADO

A total of 109 residents of Tagulandang Island, Sitaro Regency, North Sulawesi, were evacuated to Likupang Regency using KN SAR Bimasena.

KENDARI, KOMPAS — As the impact of eruption Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi continues, flight activities are still temporarily suspended. Management has extended the closure of Sam Ratulangi Airport, Manado, until Thursday (2/5/2024) afternoon. Hundreds of residents were evacuated from Tagulandang Island to avoid dangerous conditions.

Yanti Pramono from the Public Relations Department of Sam Ratulangi International Airport, on Wednesday (May 1st, 2024) afternoon, conveyed that for the sake of flight safety and security, the airport will be temporarily closed. The closure will last until Thursday at 12:00pm Wita.

"This is based on observations of the volcanic ash activity of Mount Ruang. Based on the joint meeting results, even though the dust conditions are not as thick as yesterday, there are certainly many things that need to be prepared," said Yanti, contacted from Kendari, Southeast Sulawesi.

The extension of the closure is necessary so that airport cleaning can be maximized. This way, when flights are operating, there will be no adverse effects on the flights. In addition, the airlines also need time to prepare for operations and arrange passenger arrangements.

Since Tuesday, the airport has been closed due to volcanic ash from the eruption. The airport has taken precautions and mitigation measures by conducting tests to determine the impact of the volcanic ash.

DOKUMENTASI HUMAS BANDARA SAM RATULANGI

The management of Sam Ratulangi International Airport has temporarily closed the airport from Tuesday (April 30, 2024) until Wednesday (May 1, 2024) at 12.00 PM Wita. The airport closure was then extended until Thursday (May 2, 2024).

"This situation requires the airport not to carry out flights, which resulted in the postponement (flights) of a total of 38 aircraft with 3,842 passengers. We hope that passengers can understand the disaster impact of this volcanic eruption and prospective passengers can contact their respective airlines to reschedule or reschedule >refund the ticket," said General Manager of PT Angkasa Pura I Maya Damayanti.

The status of Mount Ruang in Sitaro Regency, North Sulawesi has been raised to "alert" as of 30 April 2024 at 01:30 Wita. Residents within a 7-kilometer radius from the center of the crater, especially those on the west coast of Tagulandang Island, are urged to evacuate to avoid potential impacts of the eruption.

Also read: Thousands of Residents Around Mount Ruang Evacuated, Sam Ratulangi Airport Closed

The increase in volcanic activity is evident from the high number of shallow and deep volcanic earthquakes since Monday (April 29, 2024). Based on the records of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, on that day between 00:00-24:00 WITA, there were 15 instances of eruption earthquakes, 237 instances of shallow volcanic earthquakes, 425 instances of deep volcanic earthquakes, 15 instances of local tectonic earthquakes, and 6 instances of distant tectonic earthquakes.

The public relations staff member of the Manado Search and Rescue (SAR) Office, Feri Ariyanto, stated that they have evacuated 109 residents from Tagulandang Island, the center of the Ruang Mountain eruption. Using the KN SAR Bimasena, the team brought residents from Minanga pier to Munte, Likupang Regency, which is approximately a three-hour journey.

"As per the directive to stay at least 7 kilometers away from the eruption center, we have evacuated residents who wish to leave Pulau Tagulandang. The volcanic ash continues to thicken and there have been previous eruptions," he said.

PUSAT VULKANOLOGI DAN MITIGASI BENCANA GEOLOGI

Screenshot of the Recommendation Map for Mount Ruang at Alert level issued by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, Wednesday (17/4/2024).

Apart from the major eruption that occurred on early Tuesday morning, a number of other eruptions also occurred until Tuesday afternoon. The height of the ash column varied, ranging from around 800 meters to 1,500 meters.

As many as 48 personnel, it is said, are continuously on standby to assist in evacuating and rescuing residents. "So far, there have been no reports of casualties from the eruption," said Feri.

Previously, Acting Regent of Sitaro Islands Joy Oroh, on Tuesday (April 30, 2024), stated that thousands of residents have evacuated to safe areas, either in their relatives' houses or families within a radius of 7 kilometers. Since yesterday, when the eruption occurred, residents have conducted self-evacuation.

Also read: More Residents Affected by Mount Spatial Eruption

According to Joy, the total population in Tagulandang Island is 22,000 people. They are divided into 30 villages in three districts on the island. However, some of the residents go to school or work elsewhere.

Currently, they are providing several posts on Tagulandang Island or nearby islands. The team works to help provide the needs of residents, especially food.

BASARNAS MANADO

The SAR team picked up residents on the coast of Tagulandang Island for evacuation, Thursday (18/4/2024).