Inp.polri.go.id - Manado. Sam Ratulangi Airport temporarily ceased operations on Wednesday (17/4/2024) due to volcanic ash from Mount Ruang affecting Siau Tagulandang Biaro (Sitaro) Regency in North Sulawesi.

Maya Damayanti, the General Manager of Sam Ratulangi Airport, announced the closure via a Notice to Airmen (Notam) until 10 am local time.

The decision, made after coordination with Airport Authorities, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), and other stakeholders, aimed to ensure airport safety due to the volcanic ash's hazardous effects, she said,

Passengers were informed of the delay through airport announcements, according to antaranews.com.

Flights from Manado to Jakarta, Makassar, Sorong, as well as arrivals from China and Ternate, experienced delays.

Mount Ruang's status was raised from Level III Alert to Level IV Warning following increased volcanic activity. 

The volcano erupted twice on Wednesday, with material reaching heights of 2,500 meters and 3,000 meters respectively, accompanied by rumblings and tremors felt at the volcano observation post.

(mg/inp/pr/nm)