LEMBATA, Indonesia. Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted again on Wednesday, sending massive ash plumes into the sky and forcing the evacuation of nearby villages as well as the cancellation of dozens of flights, including routes to and from the popular tourist island of Bali.
The volcano, located in Flores Timur district, began spewing ash and smoke on Tuesday afternoon, with one powerful eruption sending a mushroom-shaped ash cloud 10,000 meters (32,800 feet) into the sky. Ashfall was reported up to 150 kilometers (93 miles) away. Multiple eruptions continued into Wednesday, with some columns of ash reaching up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet).
In response, authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the designated danger zone to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Officers at the Mount Lewotobi monitoring post, located 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the crater, were evacuated due to the threat of falling gravel and debris.
No casualties have been reported so far, but ash and volcanic debris fell on several areas outside the designated danger zone, including the villages of Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Some residents from Nurabelen village in the Ile Bura subdistrict fled to evacuation shelters in Konga and Nileknoheng, located 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the crater, according to Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency.
The eruption disrupted air travel across the region. Dozens of flights were canceled on Wednesday, affecting thousands of passengers. Routes to and from Bali’s I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport — including flights to Australia, Malaysia, India, and China — were suspended due to the presence of volcanic ash, which can pose serious hazards to aircraft engines.
Flights were also grounded at Labuan Bajo’s airport on Flores Island, another major tourist destination in East Nusa Tenggara province, though the airport remains operational. Jetstar Airways said it expected the ash cloud to clear by late Wednesday and would reschedule services. Air New Zealand canceled a round-trip to Auckland and planned to rebook passengers on the next available flight. Other affected international routes included New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong, China.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, which rises 1,584 meters (5,197 feet) above sea level, is one of two twin volcanoes alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan. It has a history of eruptions, including deadly blasts. An eruption in November last year killed nine people and injured dozens more. The volcano also erupted in March this year, prompting fluctuating alert levels.
Indonesia, a nation of over 270 million people, sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of seismic faults and volcanoes where earthquakes and eruptions are common. The country is home to 120 active volcanoes.
Edgardo Hernal started college at UP Diliman and received his BA in Economics from San Sebastian College, Manila, and Masters in Information Systems Management from Keller Graduate School of Management of DeVry University in Oak Brook, IL. He has 25 years of copy editing and management experience at Thomson West, a subsidiary of Thomson Reuters.
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
- EDGARDO HERNAL
