Volcano on Flores Island Erupts Anew, No Immediate Casualties Reported

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia erupted once more on Thursday, emitting a column of hot clouds that soared 2,500 metres (8,200 feet) into the air.

This comes just three days after a midnight eruption resulted in the deaths of nine individuals and left dozens injured. There have been no immediate reports of casualties from this recent eruption.

The 1,584-metre (5,197-foot) volcano on Indonesia’s isolated Flores Island unleashed clouds of grey hot ash on Thursday. The eruption expelled a mixture of rock, lava, and gas up to 1 kilometre (0.6 miles) from its crater, according to a statement from Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation.

Since Monday’s deadly eruption, which claimed nine lives and injured 64 people, the volcano had been relatively quiet.

Monday’s eruption impacted over 10,000 residents across 10 villages. Approximately 4,400 villagers sought refuge in makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption destroyed seven schools, nearly two dozen houses, and a convent on the predominantly Catholic Island.

In response, the country’s volcano monitoring agency raised Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert status to the highest level and expanded the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometre (4.3-mile) radius, banning any activity within this area.

Authorities have cautioned the thousands who evacuated not to return to their homes. The government plans to relocate about 16,000 residents out of the danger zone, according to Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, who, like many Indonesians, goes by a single name.

“Permanent relocation is considered as a long-term mitigation measure to anticipate eruption in the future,” Suharyanto informed reporters after inspecting the devastated areas on Thursday.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a pair of stratovolcanoes in the East Flores district of East Nusa Tenggara province, locally referred to as the husband-and-wife mountains. “Laki Laki” means man, while its counterpart is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman.

In January, around 6,500 people were evacuated after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, releasing thick clouds and prompting the government to close the island’s Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport. While no casualties or significant damage were reported, the airport has remained closed since due to ongoing seismic activity.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is among the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago with a population of 280 million. The nation is susceptible to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic activity as it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.

Frances Ibiefo

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