Jakarta, Jul 7 (AP) - Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, releasing a towering plume of volcanic material, reaching heights of up to 18 kilometers. The eruption blanketed nearby villages with ash.
No casualties were reported, although the volcano has been on the highest alert level since last month.
The Geology Agency reported an avalanche of scorching gas clouds, mixed with rocks and lava, cascading up to 5 kilometers down the slopes during the eruption. Drone footage revealed lava filling the crater, indicating substantial magma activity that triggered volcanic earthquakes.
According to Muhammad Wafid, Geology Agency chief, the column of hot clouds was the tallest since the major eruption in November 2024, which claimed nine lives and left dozens injured. The volcano also erupted in March.
“An eruption of that magnitude certainly heightens the potential danger, especially concerning aviation,” Wafid told The Associated Press from a seminar in Switzerland. “We need to re-evaluate and extend the danger zone to prevent any harm to villagers and tourists.”
The volcano monitoring agency had already raised Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert status to the highest level after a June 18 eruption, subsequently expanding the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer radius to reflect increased eruption frequency.
After an early eruption last year, about 6,500 residents evacuated and Frans Seda Airport was closed. The airport has remained shut due to persistent seismic activity.
The 1,584-meter volcano is twinned with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in Flores Timur district.
Monday's eruption ranks among Indonesia's most significant volcanic events since 2010, when Mount Merapi, the nation’s most volatile volcano, erupted on densely populated Java, resulting in 353 deaths and displacing over 350,000 residents.
Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago home to over 280 million people, is prone to seismic events. It hosts 120 active volcanoes and is part of the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped band of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean. (AP)
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