Indonesia’s volcanology agency has raised the alert level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki to its highest following a series of powerful eruptions over the weekend. The volcano, located on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia, erupted eight times on Sunday, spewing ash clouds as high as 5.5 kilometres into the sky.
In a statement released late Sunday, Muhammad Wafid, head of the volcanology agency, said the status level was elevated at 8:00 p.m. local time (1200 GMT) due to sustained high volcanic activity.
“Our analysis showed that the activities of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki are still high, so we raised the status level,” Wafid said.
Images shared by the agency showed dense grey ash clouds billowing from the crater, accompanied by rumbling noises recorded at varying intensities from the nearest monitoring post. The volcano erupted again on Monday morning, sending fresh ash plumes up to 1.2 kilometres into the air.
Authorities have issued a warning to residents, urging them to avoid the six-kilometre radius around the crater. There is also concern about the potential for cold lava flows — a dangerous mixture of volcanic debris and water — especially during heavy rainfall.
Despite the heightened activity, no evacuations or flight cancellations have been reported as of Monday, according to local official Heronimus Lamawuran.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki last made headlines in March when an eruption disrupted air travel, forcing airlines like Jetstar and Qantas to cancel or delay flights into Bali. A more deadly eruption occurred in November last year, claiming at least nine lives and displacing thousands.
Indonesia, home to more than 120 active volcanoes, lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a volatile zone where several tectonic plates converge, making it one of the most seismically active regions in the world.
Melissa Enoch
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