A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted again on Saturday, sending a massive ash cloud nearly nine kilometers (over five miles) into the sky. This eruption followed a previous one earlier in the week, which killed nine people and led to the evacuation of thousands.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-meter (5,587-foot) twin-peaked volcano located on the tourist island of Flores, has erupted more than a dozen times this week. The eruption on Saturday began at 4:47 AM local time (2047 GMT), and the ash column was reported to rise about 9,000 meters above the summit, appearing thick and grey, according to Indonesia’s volcanology agency.
There were no immediate reports of damage from this latest eruption, but the agency warned residents to stay alert for potential cold lava floods due to heavy rainfall.
Earlier on Friday, another large eruption forced officials at a nearby monitoring station to evacuate as ash and small rocks fell. On Thursday, the mountain released an ash cloud that reached eight kilometers high, which locals described as one of the biggest they had ever seen.
Over 10,000 people have been affected by the eruptions, and officials have advised residents to permanently relocate from an eight-kilometer exclusion zone. Authorities are providing temporary housing and financial support while new homes are being built for those affected. Suharyanto, head of Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency, mentioned that although relocation plans take time, they aim to build new homes as quickly as possible.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is paired with a quieter volcano named after the Indonesian word for "woman." Indonesia, being part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire," frequently experiences volcanic and seismic activity.
