Inp.polri.go.id - Manado.  The eruption of Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi has damaged seismic equipment, hindering monitoring efforts. 

Juliana DJ Rumambi, the Head of Volcanic Monitoring and Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) in Sulawesi and Maluku,, said on Thursday (18/4/2024) that the eruption damaged equipment during the eruption at 6 pm and a larger one at 8.15 pm local time on Wednesday.

Repair efforts were underway, with alternative solutions being considered until equipment from PVMBG arrived. These included deploying teams from Bandung and Yogyakarta and exploring CCTV or drone monitoring, according to antaranews.com.

The current lack of seismic data complicated eruption prediction. Although unique, Mount Ruang's unpredictability necessitated maintaining a six-kilometer sterile radius. 

The eruption began on Tuesday, prompting successive alerts from PVMBG. Despite the challenges, efforts persist to ensure public safety and monitor Mount Ruang's activity.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)