Indonesia's Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupted on Monday, spewing a column of volcanic material up to 18 kilometers into the sky, blanketing villages in ash and causing flight cancellations, UNN reports, citing AP.
Details
The highest alert level has been in place for the volcano since last month, with no casualties reported.
Indonesia's geological agency recorded an avalanche of scorching gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava, which descended 5 kilometers down the volcano's slopes. Drone observations showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep magma movement causing volcanic earthquakes.
The column of hot clouds that rose into the sky was the volcano's highest eruption since a major eruption in November 2024, which killed nine people and injured dozens, said Muhammad Wafid, head of the geological agency. It also erupted in March.
"An eruption of this magnitude certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation," Wafid told the Associated Press from Switzerland, where he was attending a workshop. "We will re-evaluate to expand its hazardous zone, which needs to be cleared of villagers and tourists."
The volcano monitoring agency raised the alert status for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki to the highest level after the June 18 eruption and more than doubled the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer radius since then, as eruptions became more frequent.
Volcano in Indonesia spews massive ash column, danger level raised17.06.25, 17:02 • [views_3307]
By Monday afternoon, at least 24 flights between Bali and Australia, Singapore, and South Korea had been canceled, and many others delayed, while flights on four domestic routes were canceled, said Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, spokesman for Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali. Domestic flights from Bali to Labuan Bajo were also canceled.
He said the airport was operating normally despite several flight cancellations, as monitoring of volcanic ash movement until 3:30 local time showed that volcanic ash from the Lewotobi volcano eruption had not affected Bali's airspace.
"The safety of our guests and crew is our top priority, and our team of experienced meteorologists is closely monitoring the situation and ash cloud activity," a Virgin Australia representative told Australian broadcaster ABC News, as some of the airline's services to Bali were canceled. Two Qantas flights to Bali from Sydney and Melbourne were severely delayed.
Four domestic flights from El Tari Airport in Kupang, the administrative center of East Nusa Tenggara province, to the cities of Maumere and Larantuka on Flores Island were forced to cancel, an airport official said.
Flights to tourist Bali canceled after volcano eruption in Indonesia18.06.25, 08:19 • [views_30573]
Falling ash covered several villages with debris and blocked sunlight for almost half an hour, said Hadi Widjaja, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
He said volcanic materials, including thumb-sized fragments of gravel and ash, were ejected up to 8 kilometers from the crater on Monday. He warned residents to be vigilant due to heavy rains that could cause lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano.
Monday's activity was the result of an accumulation of hidden energy due to magma blockage in the crater, which reduced noticeable seismic activity while increasing pressure, contributing to the huge explosive eruption, Widjaja said.
Addition
Monday's eruption was reportedly one of the largest in Indonesia since 2010, when Mount Merapi, the country's most unstable volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. That eruption killed 353 people and forced more than 350,000 to evacuate from affected areas.
Indonesia is an archipelago with a population of over 280 million and frequent seismic activity. The island has 120 active volcanoes and is located along the "Ring of Fire" - a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic faults encircling the Pacific Basin.