Indonesia volcano eruption shuts more airports, with ash reaching Malaysia

Eruptions at a remote Indonesian volcano forced more than half a dozen airports to close, with ash spreading as far as Malaysia, officials said on May 1, while the authorities rushed to evacuate thousands due to tsunami fears.

Mount Ruang erupted three times on April 30, spewing lava and ash more than 5km into the sky and forcing the authorities to issue evacuation orders for 12,000 locals.

A rescue ship and a warship were dispatched to help move thousands from neighbouring Tagulandang island north to Siau island because of a warning about parts of the volcano falling into the sea and potentially causing a tsunami.

Ms Rosalin Salindeho, a 95-yearold resident of Tagulandang in Indonesia's outermost region of North Sulawesi province, spoke of her fears when Ruang erupted after arriving in Siau.