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.

JAKARTA: Authorities have begun evacuating 3000 residents near the Mount Ibu volcano on Indonesia’s eastern island of Halmahera, the disaster agency said on Thursday, after an eruption this week sent a cloud of thick grey ash as high as four-km into the sky.

Hundreds of islanders have been evacuated, with thousands more awaiting their turn following increased volcanic eruptions in eastern Indonesia, officials said on Thursday.

This is the spectacular moment the Mount Ibu volcano erupted, sending a towering column of ash skywards in Indonesia today. Footage shows thick grey smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air, leaning towards the west and northwest in West Halmahera Regency,

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) indicated that over three thousand people residing in West Halmahera District, North Maluku Province, may need to evacuate due to increased volcanic activity at Mount Ibu.

A surveillance video timelapse showsIndonesia’s Mount Ibu volcano erupting:: Authorities say thousands nearby are being evacuated::6, 2025:: West Halmahera, IndonesiaThe evacuations started late on Wednesday for about 3,

Thousands of people declined on Thursday a government-led evacuation in eastern Indonesia where a volcano has been spewing smoke and ash, arguing that they are accustomed to the eruptions. Mount Ibu,

Mount Ibu, a volcano on Indonesia's Halmahera island, erupted Wednesday, sending four-kilometer high ash clouds into the sky. Authorities raised the alert level and advised against activities within five kilometers of the crater.

Authorities call for evacuation of 3,000 people living near Mount Ibu, on remote Halmahera island in North Maluku province