KUCHING: The Sarawak government is closely monitoring the situation following alerts from the Meteorological Department that volcanic ash from Mount Ruang's eruption in North Sulawesi might reach its airspace, the Sarawak Public Communications Unit reported.
Sarawak Premier Tan Sri Abang Johari Tun Openg said that while the situation is under observation, expert advice is being awaited before any concrete measures are taken.
"The potential of ash affecting Sarawak is there as wind currents might carry the plume to our region, but we need to review expert analysis to understand the likely impacts," he said.
He emphasised that the northern regions of Sarawak, such as Limbang and Bintulu, are more likely to experience the ash fallout due to their proximity to Sulawesi, as opposed to Kuching.
"This occurrence is mainly due to the direction of the wind which currently affects Sabah. However, the southern part of Sarawak might not see any significant impact.
"We are particularly cautious about the aviation hazards posed by the fine particles in the ash," he added while speaking to the media at the Hari Raya Aidilfitri Open House of the Sarawak Deputy Minister for Utility and Telecommunication, Datuk Dr Abdul Rahman Junaidi.
The meteorological department in Sarawak has reported that depending on the wind patterns, a small portion of Sarawak's airspace might encounter volcanic ash from the recent eruption, posing risks primarily to aircraft due to the abrasive particles in the ash cloud.