Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupted, spewing towering columns of hot ash high into the air just days after a previous eruption killed nine people and injured dozens. The activity at the volcano on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has been increasing since the initial eruption on Monday. The volcano erupted again, resulting in the largest column of ash ever recorded at 6.2 miles high, according to Hadi Wijaya, the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.
In response to the heightened volcanic activity, authorities expanded the danger zone around Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki. The volcanic materials, including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot fragments of gravel and ash, were thrown up to 5 miles from the crater. Although there were no casualties reported from the latest eruption, the volcano shot billowing columns of ash at least three times on Saturday, rising up to 5.6 miles. The volcanic activity has caused damage to schools and thousands of houses and buildings, including religious structures such as convents, churches, and a seminary, on the majority-Catholic island.
The series of eruptions throughout the week have impacted more than 10,000 people in 14 villages, with over half of them moving into makeshift emergency shelters. The government has planned to evacuate about 16,000 residents out of the danger zone, and authorities have warned those who fled the area not to return home. Rescue workers, police, and soldiers have been searching devastated areas to ensure all residents have been moved out of the danger zone. The National Disaster Management Agency has announced that residents of the hardest-hit villages will be relocated within six months, with compensation provided to families waiting to be rehoused.
In addition to the human impact, the volcanic activity has also caused damage to infrastructure, including the collapse of houses and public facilities, as well as the destruction of a main road connecting East Flores district to neighboring Larantuka district. The eruptions have left craters measuring up to 43 feet wide and 16 feet deep, according to experts. The volcanic ash has resulted in the closure of several airports in neighboring districts, including the Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport on Flores, which has been closed since January due to seismic activity.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people prone to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity due to its location along the “Ring of Fire.” The volcano, known locally as one of the husband-and-wife mountains, is part of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province. Despite the ongoing volcanic activity and the displacement of thousands of residents, emergency response efforts are underway to provide relief supplies and support to those affected by the eruptions.
