Latest News
Thousands evacuated, flights disrupted as Indonesian volcano erupts again
Thousands of people have been evacuated and flights disrupted after Indonesia’s Mount Ruang erupted again, sending thick clouds of ash more than 5km (3 miles) into the sky.
Officials said the volcano in the archipelago’s North Sulawesi province erupted at least three times on Tuesday, prompting fears debris might fall into the sea and cause a tsunami.
Footage shared by Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) showed strikes of lightning flashing above Ruang’s crater as fiery red clouds of lava and rocks were thrown into the air.
The agency said that all 843 residents living on Ruang Island, where the volcano is located, had been moved to Manado, the provincial capital about 100km (62 miles) away. Some 12,000 people from the neighbouring Tagulandang Island are being evacuated to Siau Island further north with two ships deployed to help with the process.
Rosalin Salindeho, a 95-year-old Tagulandang resident, spoke of her fears when Ruang erupted after arriving in Siau. “The mountain exploded. Wow, it was horrible. There were rains of rocks. Twice. The second one was really heavy, even the houses far away were also hit,” she said.
Indonesia’s meteorological agency (BMKG) shared a map on Wednesday morning that showed volcanic ash had reached as far as Borneo, the island Indonesia shares with Brunei and Malaysia.
Indonesian air traffic control agency AirNav Indonesia said seven airports had been forced to close including in Manado and the city of Gorontalo.
Malaysia Airlines said the ash led to the cancellation of some flights to and from airports in the Borneo states of Sabah and Sarawak, with travel dependent on the weather conditions. North Sulawesi is in the central part of the Indonesian archipelago.
Julius Ramopolii, the head of the Mount Ruang monitoring post, said the volcano was still billowing ash and smoke above the crater on Wednesday morning. “The volcano is visibly seen, the plume of smoke is visible, grey and thick, and reached 500-700 metres (2,300 feet) above the crater,” he said in a statement. He said the alert level remained at its highest of a four-tiered system and called on residents to remain outside a seven-kilometre exclusion zone declared by the authorities.
Indonesia sees regular earthquakes and volcanic eruptions as a result of its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where multiple tectonic plates meet.
Mount Ruang recorded a series of eruptions earlier in April that also led to evacuations and disruption to aviation amid fears of a tsunami.
In 2018, the crater of Mount Anak Krakatoa, between Java and Sumatra islands, partly collapsed during a major eruption that sent huge chunks of the volcano sliding into the ocean, leading to a tsunami that killed more than 400 people and injured thousands more.
(Aljazeera)
Latest News
It is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength – President
President Anura Kumara Disanayake in his Maha Shiva rathri message said that it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength.
The full text of the message issued by the President’s media division:
Maha Shiva Rathri is a sacred and joyous occasion celebrated by Hindu devotees across the world in reverence of Lord Shiva. This divine night marks the celestial union of Lord Shiva and Goddess Parvati, as well as the powerful Tandava, Shiva’s cosmic dance of creation and destruction. It symbolises the triumph of wisdom over ignorance, dispelling the darkness of illusion and lighting the path to enlightenment.
On this auspicious night, Hindu devotees observe fasting and engage in spiritual practices, praying for the darkness of ignorance to be replaced by the radiance of wisdom. It is also a time to seek divine blessings for prosperity, peace and fulfilment in life.
The union of Shiva and Parvati is a profound representation of knowledge and power coming together. It reminds us that breaking free from the illusions of division allows us to embrace the truth with open eyes. Today, as we stand at the dawn of a new era, this message is more relevant than ever. Let us tear down the barriers that have kept us apart for generations and unite as one, casting aside discord and embracing togetherness. This is a moment to nurture interfaith harmony, celebrate our diversity and move forward with love and mutual respect, dedicating ourselves to the progress of our beloved motherland.
As we journey towards a brighter future, it is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength. We are stepping into a time of transformation, embracing political, economic and social renewal, shaping a future that holds promise and hope for all.
On this sacred night, as the glowing lamps of Maha Shiva Rathri illuminate our surroundings, let them also illuminate our hearts, guiding us with unwavering faith along the path we have chosen. Let us walk forward together, hand in hand, in the spirit of peace, unity and shared prosperity.
Millions of people are thought to be without electricity across Chile after a large nationwide power outage.
According to the national service for disaster prevention and response (SENAPRED), an area spanning most of the country is impacted, including the capital city, Santiago.
The exact scale of the outage, which began earlier on Tuesday, is not yet known but SENAPRED has said it covers the regions of Arica and Parinacota in the north to Los Lagos in the south.
Reuters news agency has also reported that the world’s largest copper mine, Escondida, is without power, citing a source close to the matter.
LATAM Airlines said that some of its flights may also be disrupted while power supplies were down, and urged passengers to check their journey status.
In a post on X, the Santiago Metro operator said its service had been temporarily suspended due to the ongoing power outage, with stations being evacuated and closed.
Footage from the city showed passengers evacuating stations by walking up switched-off escalators, while traffic signals were also shown not working.
There were also long queues for buses which were still running on the city’s roads.
Maria Angelica Roman, 45, told AFP news agency: “They let us leave work because of the power cut, but now I don’t know how we will get home because all the buses are full.”
Chile’s interior minister, Carolina Toha, also posted on X to say that a meeting would be called to discuss ongoing measures to restore services.
SENAPRED added that electricity companies across the impacted area were investigating the fault and attempting to restart services, and no emergency situations had been reported.
[BBC]
President Anura Kumara Disanayake met with Ms. Severine Chappaz, the newly appointed Head of Delegation of the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC), on Tuesday (25) at the Presidential Secretariat.
Discussions focused on the ICRC’s support for the new government’s policy framework. As part of this collaboration, the Sri Lanka Red Cross Society has agreed to provide technical assistance and capacity-building support to strengthen the Office on Missing Persons (OMP).
President Disanayake highlighted that the budget 2025 has allocated funds for on-going programs related to searching for missing persons.
Additionally, the President announced plans to celebrate “Sri Lankan Day” as a national initiative aimed at fostering unity and strengthening the country’s collective identity, transcending ethnic and religious differences.
The President expressed his gratitude to the ICRC for its humanitarian operations in Sri Lanka since 1989 and acknowledged its continued commitment to the country.
The meeting was also attended by Roshan Gamage, Senior Additional Secretary to the President, and Ruwanthi Jayasundara, Communications Manager of the ICRC.
It is our collective responsibility to build a nation grounded in unity and strength – President
Fairly heavy showers above 75mm can be expected at some places in Eastern and Uva provinces and in Matale, Nuwara-Eliya, Polonnaruwa, Galle, Matara, Kalutara and Rathnapura districts.
USD 900,000 paid monthly for three unused SriLankan aircraft– Dy. Finance Minister
-
Business3 days agoSri Lanka’s 1st Culinary Studio opened by The Hungryislander
-
Sports4 days agoHow Sri Lanka fumbled their Champions Trophy spot
-
Sports7 days agoSri Lanka face Australia in Masters World Cup semi-final today
-
News7 days agoCourtroom shooting: Police admit serious security lapses
-
News7 days agoUnderworld figure ‘Middeniye Kajja’ and daughter shot dead in contract killing
-
News6 days agoKiller made three overseas calls while fleeing
-
News5 days agoSC notices Power Minister and several others over FR petition alleging govt. set to incur loss exceeding Rs 3bn due to irregular tender
-
Features4 days agoThe Murder of a Journalist