Indonesia volcano erupts, sending ash 18 km high

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted twice in five hours, creating an ash column 18 km high and blanketing nearby villages.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a 1,548 m volcano on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia, first erupted on the evening of 1/8, sending an ash column 10 km high. Five hours later, in the early hours of the following day, a second eruption produced an ash plume reaching 18 km.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes. The 2/8 eruption is among the largest in Indonesia since the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi on the densely populated island of Java, which killed 350 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts on the evening of 1/8. Photo: AP

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts on the evening of 1/8. Photo: AP

The Indonesian Geological Agency reported lava flows traveling as far as 5 km down the slopes of Lewotobi Laki Laki. Volcanic material, including thumb-sized hot gravel, was ejected up to 8 km from the crater, raining down on surrounding villages and towns.

There are no reports of casualties. The volcano has been on its highest alert level since an eruption on 18/6. A 7 km exclusion zone was established due to the increased frequency of eruptions.

Nine people were killed and thousands of homes destroyed during an eruption in 11/2024. An eruption on 7/7 disrupted air travel, causing dozens of flight cancellations and delays at Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes, situated along the Pacific Ring of Fire.