Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted for a second consecutive day early Saturday, unleashing a towering ash column that soared up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and blanketed nearby villages with debris. Authorities have not reported any casualties.
The dramatic eruption follows another powerful blast Friday evening, which sent ash plumes 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) high and illuminated the night sky with glowing lava and lightning. Both eruptions occurred within a five-hour span, marking one of the most intense volcanic episodes in the country this year, News.Az reports, citing AP News.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency said Saturday’s eruption generated searing gas clouds, rocks, and lava that flowed as far as 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the volcano’s slopes. Drones detected significant magma movement beneath the surface, triggering tremors that registered clearly on seismic monitors.
Volcanic debris, including thumb-sized gravel, was hurled up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Several nearby villages were coated in thick layers of ash and debris. Officials have warned residents to stay alert, especially during heavy rainfall, which could trigger dangerous lava flows in rivers linked to the volcano.
This latest eruption is considered one of Indonesia’s largest since 2010, when Mount Merapi erupted on Java Island, killing more than 350 people and displacing hundreds of thousands.
Saturday’s activity comes less than a month after a major eruption on July 7 disrupted dozens of flights at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport and left roads and rice fields covered in thick gray mud and rock.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located on the remote island of Flores, stands 1,584 meters (5,197 feet) high and has remained at its highest alert level since erupting on June 18. Authorities have doubled the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius as eruptions grow more frequent.
In November, a series of eruptions from the same volcano killed nine people and destroyed thousands of homes. The Indonesian government has since permanently relocated thousands of residents from the danger zone.
Indonesia, home to more than 280 million people, is part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for its high seismic activity. The country has 120 active volcanoes, making it one of the most volcanically active nations on Earth.
