Indonesia‘s Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has begun erupting again, shooting an ash cloud 18km into the sky and prompting authorities to place it on the highest alert level. The volcano on the island of Flores began spewing ash and lava on Monday morning, with no reports of casualties so far. However, the eruption has caused widespread disruption, with at least 24 flights to and from the neighboring resort island of Bali cancelled on Monday.
The geology agency chief, Muhammad Wafid, said the initial column of hot clouds that rose at 11:05 (03:05 GMT) Monday was the volcano’s highest since November. “An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,” Wafid told The Associated Press. The authorities have enlarged the exclusion zone to a 7km radius from the central vent and warned of potential lahar floods, a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials, if heavy rain occurs.
The twin-peaked volcano erupted again at 19:30 on Monday, sending ash clouds and lava up to 13km into the air. It erupted a third time at 05:53 on Tuesday at a reduced intensity. Videos shared overnight show glowing red lava spurting from the volcano’s peaks as residents get into cars and buses to flee. More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from the area so far, according to the local disaster management agency.
Residents who have stayed put are facing a shortage of water, food, and masks, local authorities say. “As the eruption continues, with several secondary explosions and ash clouds drifting westward and northward, the affected communities who have not been relocated… require focused emergency response efforts,” says Paulus Sony Sang Tukan, who leads the Pululera village, about 8km from Lewotobi Laki-laki.
“Water is still available, but there’s concern about its cleanliness and whether it has been contaminated, since our entire area was blanketed in thick volcanic ash during yesterday’s [eruptions],” Tukan added. Indonesia sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity as well as earthquakes.
Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted multiple times this year, with no casualties reported so far. However, an eruption last November killed at least ten people and forced thousands to flee. The volcano’s eruptions are a reminder of the country’s location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes.