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ount Gamalama in Ternate city, North Maluku, is still showing signs of volcanic activity and its status has been raised to siaga '€” the second highest alert level.

Gamalama Volcano Observation Station head Darno Lamane told Antara news agency in Ternate on Friday that seismic and volcanic tremors were still taking place and volcanic ash was still emitted by the volcano.

He said he could not confirm whether the volcanic activities of the 1,700-meter tall volcano would increase or decrease in the coming days. However, the observation post would continue monitoring the situation.

Darno said residents living on the slopes of Mt. Gamalama could still go about their daily activities, but only those living outside the 2.5-kilometer radius of the crater.

National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said two missing hikers had been found on Gamalama'€™s slope injured.

Earlier, 11 other hikers were evacuated following an eruption.

Residents in Ternate are also being urged to remain calm and not easily believe eruption rumors. Sutopo, however, appealed to residents to remain alert as the volcano was unpredictable.

Students in Ternate were allowed to return home earlier on Friday due to volcanic ash from Mt. Gamalama spreading to Ternate and its surrounding areas.

Schools have distributed masks to every student to prevent them from inhaling ash as they head home, as the volcano continued to emit ash.

A number of government offices in Ternate, such as Ternate City Hall, also allowed employees to return home earlier due to volcanic ash that had covered the office compound and rooms.

Traders in a number of commercial centers in Ternate remained in business despite the presence of a smaller number of customers, as residents preferred to remain indoors to avoid the volcanic ash.

Earlier, Ternate Mayor Burhan Abdurahman said his office had provided 45,000 masks to city residents by distributing them in various locations, including schools, hospitals, trading centers and streets.

Burhan has also instructed all hospitals and community health clinics in the city to remain alert in anticipation of residents requiring treatment for illnesses from inhaling volcanic ash, such as respiratory diseases and skin ailments.

Babullah Airport was still closed on Friday due to thick clouds of volcanic ash.

The ash covered the airstrip following the eruptions, which began on Thursday night, and could endanger aircraft on landing or takeoff, airport official Taslim Badaruddin said on Friday.

A Batik Air aircraft took off at 8:45 a.m. local time for Makassar before the airport was closed at 9:00 a.m., he said.

Two other aircraft belonging to Sriwijaya Air and Xpress Air, were forced to cancel their departures as the ash had become too thick for a safe takeoff.

The Sriwjaya plane had been scheduled to fly to Jakarta and the Xpress Air to the nearby island of South Halmahera.

'€œMeanwhile, four incoming flights of Garuda Indonesia from Jakarta and Makassar; as well as Sriwijaya Air from Jakarta and Ambon, were also canceled because of the conditions,'€ Taslim said.

In September 2012, Mt. Gamalama also spewed volcanic ash, showering and blanketing the eastern and southern parts of Ternate.

A flow of lava from Mt. Gamalama also hit some areas in the city earlier in the year, claiming the lives of three residents.