Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia erupted on Monday, covering neighboring communities in ash and launching a massive column of volcanic debris an incredible 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky.
There were no immediate casualties from this most recent incident, relating to the volcano, which has been at its maximum alert status since last month. Up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the volcano’s slopes, an avalanche of lava and rock-and-scorching gas clouds was recorded by Indonesia’s Geology Agency. Lava currently fills the crater, according to drone observations, indicating substantial magma movement deep within the volcano that has also caused volcanic earthquakes.
According to Muhammad Wafid, the Geology Agency chief, the column of hot clouds from Monday’s eruption was the volcano’s highest since a major eruption in November 2024 that claimed nine lives and injured dozens. The volcano also erupted in March.
“An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,” Wafid told The Associated Press from Switzerland. He added that the agency plans to “reevaluate to enlarge its danger zone that must be cleared of villagers and tourist activities.”
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Alert Levels and Evacuations
The volcano monitoring agency had elevated Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert status to the highest level following an eruption on June 18. Since then, they have more than doubled the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius as eruptions have become more frequent.
Following an eruption early last year, approximately 6,500 people were evacuated, and the island’s Frans Seda Airport was closed. The airport has remained shut due to ongoing seismic activity.
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki
The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is a twin volcano, situated alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the Flores Timur district.
Monday’s eruption marks one of Indonesia’s largest volcanic events since 2010, when Mount Merapi, the country’s most volatile volcano on the densely populated island of Java, erupted, killing 353 people and forcing over 350,000 to evacuate.
Indonesia, an archipelago home to more than 280 million people, experiences frequent seismic activity. It boasts 120 active volcanoes and lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
Source: CNN
