On Wednesday, October 15th, the Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in Indonesia erupted violently, sending ash up to 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) high into the sky, leading authorities to issue the highest level of alert.
According to the Indonesian Geological Agency, the volcano located in East Nusa Tenggara Province erupted suddenly at 1:35 am local time on October 15th, lasting for about nine minutes.
The agency reported that at 9:21 am on Wednesday, the volcano erupted again, lasting for about three minutes, with volcanic ash reaching 8 kilometers high.
Muhammad Wafid, the head of the agency, stated that significant increase in volcanic activity had been monitored since the 13th and the alert level was raised to the highest on the 14th (Tuesday) night.
Wafid urged residents to evacuate the area within 6 to 7 kilometers of the volcano and warned that surrounding residents should be cautious of the risks of volcanic mudflows triggered by heavy rainfall.
According to Avelina Manggota Hallan, an official from the local disaster relief agency, dozens of residents near the volcano have already been evacuated following the eruption.
Hallan mentioned that since the major eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in November 2024, which resulted in 10 deaths and damage to thousands of houses, most residents have already left the nearby villages.
The local airport operator announced on social media that the Indonesian government has closed the Frans Xavier Seda Airport in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara Province, until Thursday.
The last eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki was in August this year, and it also erupted in July, causing disruptions in flights to and from the nearby holiday destination of Bali.
The Bali airport operator stated that as of now, the eruption on Wednesday has not affected flights to and from Bali.
Indonesia is situated in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area prone to frequent earthquakes due to the interaction of multiple tectonic plates. The country has over 120 active volcanoes.