Volcano erupted in Indonesia, ash rose up to 11 km, biggest alert issued
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located in East Nusa Tenggara province of Indonesia, erupted in a massive explosion on Tuesday evening, causing an 11 kilometer high cloud of ash to spread into the sky. The country’s volcanology agency has issued the most dangerous warning level (maximum alert) for the volcano after this explosion.
What is Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki?
Lewotobi Laki-Laki is a 1,584 meter high volcano in Indonesia located on the island of Flores. This volcano is part of a twin system – the second volcano is Lewotobi Perempuan which is slightly higher but usually remains calm. At 5:35 pm local time, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted powerfully. During this, a huge orange mushroom-shaped ash cloud spread over the villages. This view is clearly visible in the pictures shared by Indonesia’s volcanology agency.
Why was the warning increased?
Muhammad Wafid, head of Indonesia’s geological agency, said that the risk of lava flow may increase in case of heavy rains. For this reason, the administration has advised citizens and tourists to keep a distance of at least 7 kilometers from the crater of the volcano.
When this volcano last erupted in May, a warning of the same level was issued. In the eruption in November 2023, 9 people died and thousands of people had to leave their homes and go to safer places.
Why is this area so active?
Indonesia is located on the ‘Pacific Ring of Fire’. This is the area of the Earth where the movement of geological plates is the most. This is the reason why earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common here.
