Internacionales
Indonesia warns of a potential tsunami following the eruptions of the Ruang volcano
Indonesia warned on Thursday about a potential tsunami affecting the central region of the Asian archipelago as a result of the continued eruptions of the Ruang volcano, in the Cebel Islands, while continuing with the evacuation tasks of its inhabitants.
“Residents of the island of Tagulandand, especially those who live near the coast, should be cautious about the potential expulsion of incandescent rocks, smoke columns and a possible tsunami caused by the collapse of parts of the volcano into the sea,” says the Department of Vulcanology of Indonesia in a statement published on its portal.
Authorities seek to prevent a scenario similar to that caused by the eruption of the Anak Krakatoa volcano, located in the Sonda Strait between the islands of Java and Sumatra, which on December 22, 2018 caused a landslide and a subsequent tsunami that caused at least 426 deaths.
The Ruang volcano, 725 meters high and located on a small homonymous island about 5 kilometers wide, has recorded great activity in recent days, including four strong eruptions detected in the early hours of this Thursday.
Emergency teams have evacuated at least 1,600 people, including the entire population of the island-volcano and some residents on the coast of the neighboring island of Tagulandang, located about 4 kilometers north of the Ruang crater and inhabited by about 22,000 people.
“People who live in the Tagulandang island area and are within a radius of 6 kilometers (from the crater) must be evacuated immediately to a safe place,” the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency said in a statement.
The volcanology agency raised the volcano’s alert last night to the maximum level of IV, after the Ruang launched ash clouds up to 3,000 meters high and caused small earthquakes.
According to the Zoom Earth portal, which follows the development of meteorological phenomena, one of the eruptions recorded in the last few hours was so large that it could be captured by satellite images and created a large cloud that affected the neighboring islands.
Images captured this Thursday show the foothills of the volcano covered by a gray mantle of ash.
For its part, the Meteorological Agency of Japan is studying whether a potential tsunami could impact the west coast of the country, almost 4,000 kilometers away from the volcano.
However, he has not observed “significant changes in the tide level” after last night’s eruptions.
In Australia, the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Center pointed out in its latest statement that the material expelled by the Ruang can reach 16,700 meters in height.
The expulsion of ashes has forced the closure of the international airport of the city of Manado, capital of the province of Northern Celebes and located about 70 kilometers southwest of the volcano, affecting at least a dozen flights, most of them domestic.
“All arrival and departure flights have been canceled until 23:59 (local time, 15:59 GMT),” a spokesman for Sam Ratulangi airport, which operates international flights to Singapore and the Philippine city of Davao, told EFE by phone.
Indonesia is home to more than 400 volcanoes, of which at least 129 are still active and 65 are classified as dangerous.
Internacionales
One killed, 188 evacuated as wind-driven blaze rips through Kyushu neighborhood
One person died and 188 residents were evacuated after a massive fire swept through at least 170 buildings in a residential area on the island of Kyushu, southern Japan, authorities reported on Wednesday.
The regional government confirmed one fatality. Public broadcaster NHK reported that police, who had been searching for a missing 76-year-old man, found a body inside his home.
Footage recorded on Tuesday night showed firefighters spraying water on towering flames engulfing homes, while residents were escorted to an improvised evacuation center.
“The flames rose so high they turned the sky red. The wind was strong. I never imagined it would spread so far,” a man told NHK.
“I was shaking with fear. I had never seen a column of fire like that,” another witness said.
The fire broke out late Tuesday, with at least 170 buildings affected. According to NHK, the blaze spread rapidly, likely fueled by a lack of rainfall, dry air, and the tightly packed wooden houses characteristic of the area.
Internacionales
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru erupts, sends ash 13 km high and forces evacuations
Mount Semeru, located in eastern Java and about 310 kilometers west of the popular tourist destination of Bali, erupted at 07:13 GMT, spewing pyroclastic flows, according to Indonesia’s geological agency chief, Muhamad Wafid.
“The public is advised to refrain from any activity within an 8-kilometer radius of the crater or summit of Mount Semeru due to the risk of falling volcanic rocks,” the official said in a statement. The national disaster management agency reported that the ash column rose as high as 13 kilometers.
Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari added that at least 300 residents living near the volcano were evacuated to two temporary shelters. No casualties have been reported so far.
The geological agency also noted that seismic activity at Mount Semeru remains high.
Authorities at Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport stated that flights are operating normally for the time being.
A previous eruption of Semeru in 2021 killed more than 50 people, damaged over 5,000 homes, and forced nearly 10,000 residents to seek refuge.
Indonesia is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.
Internacionales
U.S. to restore ambassador-level relations with Bolivia after 17 years
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau announced on Saturday that the United States will restore ambassador-level diplomatic relations with Bolivia after 17 years. The statement came during his visit to La Paz to attend the inauguration of Bolivia’s new president, Rodrigo Paz Pereira.
In a brief appearance before the media, Landau noted that in recent weeks Washington had maintained “very close relations with the president-elect.”
“And now that he is officially president, we will restore relations at the ambassador level, as it should have always been,” he said, speaking alongside President Paz.
Landau described it as “highly unusual” and “very unfortunate” that the two nations have spent years without ambassadors in each other’s capitals — Washington, D.C., and La Paz.
“Diplomacy is ultimately about communication. Without an ambassador in the other country’s capital, that becomes more difficult,” the U.S. official emphasized, expressing hopes that the appointment of new ambassadors will be announced “very soon.”
He also recalled that President Paz has expressed his interest in maintaining a strong bilateral relationship, adding that the United States “reciprocally wants to establish a good relationship with this new Bolivian government.”
For his part, President Paz thanked the U.S. delegation led by Landau for attending his inauguration and asked him to “convey a message of cordiality and friendship” to President Donald Trump and all levels of the U.S. government.
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