Thousands of islanders are set to be evacuated after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia, spewing a towering column of smoke and ash into the atmosphere, officials said Wednesday.

Authorities have begun evacuating 3,000 residents near the Mount Ibu volcano on Indonesia's eastern island of Halmahera, the disaster agency said on Thursday (January 16), after an eruption this week sent a cloud of thick grey ash as high as four-km (2.5-mile) into the sky.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) indicated that over three thousand people residing in West Halmahera District, North Maluku Province, may need to evacuate due to increased volcanic activity at Mount Ibu.

This is the spectacular moment the Mount Ibu volcano erupted, sending a towering column of ash skywards in Indonesia today. Footage shows thick grey smoke billowing thousands of feet into the air, leaning towards the west and northwest in West Halmahera Regency,

Photo taken with a mobile phone on Jan 16 2025 provided by Indonesia National Disaster Managemen

Emergency evacuations are underway on Indonesia’s Halmahera Island, North Maluku province, after increased activity at Mount Ibu triggered a massive eruption, displacing thousands.

Mount Ibu, a volcano on Indonesia's Halmahera island, erupted Wednesday, sending four-kilometer high ash clouds into the sky. Authorities raised the alert level and advised against activities within five kilometers of the crater.

A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted on Saturday, spewing hot lava and releasing a column of smoke and ash four kilometres (3.1 miles) into the air, an official said.

Authorities have begun evacuating 3,000 residents near the Mount Ibu volcano on Indonesia's eastern island of Halmahera, the disaster agency said on Thursday (Jan 16), after an eruption this week sent a cloud of thick grey ash as high as 4 km into the sky.