The unbelievable footage captures the moment a seemingly stable mini-mart collapses in front of the locals, after the Indonesian island was hit by its third major earthquake in just 12 short days.
In this image made from video released by Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency, a man inspects the damage caused by an early morning earthquake on the island of Lombok, Indonesia, Sunday, July 29, 2018. A shallow magnitude 6.4 earthquake early Sunday killed a number people and injured dozens on Indonesia's Lombok Island, a popular tourist destination next to Bali. (Indonesia's Disaster Mitigation Agency via AP)
There was nothing the onlookers could do as they watched the supermarket in the city of Mataram on the island's West creak and groan, and finally disintegrating in front of their very eyes.
Mohammad Muzak inspects his damaged home in the Kekait village affected by Sunday's earthquake in North Lombok, Indonesia, Wednesday, Aug. 8, 2018. Aid has begun reaching isolated areas of the Indonesian island struggling after an earthquake killed over 100 people as rescuers intensify efforts to find those buried in the rubble. (AP PhotoFirdia Lisnawati)
A witness told the local media, "The building was cracked before, just after the earthquake last Sunday, but it still operates, sometimes open, sometimes not.
"When the quake struck [on Thursday], the employees immediately jumped out."
MANADO, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami.
Mount Ruang on the northern side of Sulawesi Island had at least five large eruptions Wednesday, causing the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation to issue its highest-level alert, indicating an active eruption.
The crater emitted white-gray smoke continuously during the day Thursday, reaching more than 500 meters (1,600 feet) above the peak.
People have been ordered to stay at least 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the 725-meter (2,378 foot) mountain. More than 11,000 people live in the affected area and were told to leave. At least 800 have done so.
An international airport in Manado city was temporarily closed Thursday as volcanic ash was spewed into the air.
“We have to close flight operations at Sam Ratulangi Airport due to the spread of volcanic ash, which could endanger flight safety,” said Ambar Suryoko, head of the regional airport authority.
Eruptions Wednesday evening spewed volcanic ash approximately 70,000 feet into the atmosphere, according to the Australian Bureau of Meteorology’s Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre. The bureau said in a statement Thursday it was tracking and forecasting the ash dispersion.
Indonesia's volcanology center noted the risks from the volcanic eruption include the possibility that part of the volcano could collapse into the sea and cause a tsunami. In December 2018, Indonesia’s Anak Krakatau volcano island erupted and collapsed, losing around 3/4 its volume and triggering a powerful tsunami that killed more than 400 people. An 1871 eruption at Mount Ruang also triggered a tsunami.
Tagulandang Island, east of the Ruang volcano, could be at risk if a collapse occurred. Its residents were among those being told to evacuate.
“People who live in the Tagulandang Island area and are within a 6-kilometer radius must be immediately evacuated to a safe place outside the 6-kilometer radius," Abdul Muhari, spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said Thursday. “And especially those who live near the coast should be aware of the potential for incandescent rocks to erupt, hot clouds and tsunami waves that could be triggered by the collapse of a volcanic body into the sea.”
The agency said residents will be relocated to Manado, the nearest city, on Sulawesi island — a six-hour journey by boat.
Indonesia, an archipelago of 270 million people, has 120 active volcanoes. It is prone to volcanic activity because it sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.
AP writer Rod McGuirk contributed from Sydney.
Mount Ruang volcano is seen during the eruption from Tagulandang island, Indonesia, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. (AP Photo/ Hendra Ambalao)
Mount Ruang volcano is seen during the eruption from Tagulandang island, Indonesia, Thursday, April 18, 2024. Indonesian authorities closed an airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. (AP Photo/ Hendra Ambalao)
In this photo provided by the Indonesian Transportation Ministry, people inquire about their flight change at the closed Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, April 19, 2024. Indonesian authorities closed the airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. (Indonesian Transportation Ministry via AP)
This photo provided by the Indonesian Transportation Ministry shows the closed Sam Ratulangi Airport in Manado, North Sulawesi, Indonesia, Friday, April 19, 2024. Indonesian authorities closed the airport and residents left homes near an erupting volcano Thursday due to the dangers of spreading ash, falling rocks, hot volcanic clouds and the possibility of a tsunami. (Indonesian Transportation Ministry via AP)
In this photo released by Sitaro Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD Sitaro), hot molten lava glows at the crater of Mount Ruang as it erupts in Sanguine Islands, Indonesia, Wednesday, April 17, 2024. Indonesian authorities issued a tsunami alert Wednesday after eruptions at Ruang mountain sent ash thousands of feet high. Officials ordered more than 11,000 people to leave the area. (BPBD Sitaro via AP)
