The volcano, located on Ruang, an island about 100 kilometers (62.14 miles) from the provincial capital Manado, has erupted more than three times since Tuesday.
Authorities have raised the alert level to the second highest level following the increased activity, Heruningtyas Desi Purnamasari, an official at Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), said on Wednesday.
The eruption of Mt. Ruang was triggered by recent earthquakes on the island, with the mountain emitting dangerous and “explosive hot clouds” as high as 1.8 km (1.1 miles) into the sky, she said.
“We must clear the island because we anticipate there could be more eruptions. No activity is allowed within four kilometers (2.48 miles) of the crater,” she said.
Footage shows flows of red lava streaming down the mountain, reflected in the waters below, and billowing clouds of gray ash above its crater.
Ruang is home to about 838 residents, most of whom have now been
evacuated to the nearest island, Tagulandang, said Heruningtyas.
Indonesia straddles the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates.
X, formerly Twitter, was replete with images of the volcanic eruption.
