Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted on Monday, hurling volcanic debris up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the atmosphere and blanketing nearby villages in ash.
The volcano, which has remained on the country’s highest alert level since June, showed no immediate reports of casualties despite the intensity of the eruption.
According to Indonesia’s Geology Agency, the explosive event triggered a cascade of scorching gas clouds, rock fragments, and lava that surged as far as 5 kilometers (3 miles) down its slopes.
Drone surveillance revealed lava filling the crater, signaling significant magma movement and triggering volcanic earthquakes.
Muhammad Wafid, chief of the Geology Agency, described the latest plume of ash and gas as the highest since a deadly eruption in November 2024, which claimed nine lives and left dozens injured. The volcano had also shown activity in March.
“An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,” Wafid told The Associated Press from Switzerland, where he was attending a seminar. “We shall reevaluate to enlarge its danger zone that must be cleared of villagers and tourist activities.”
Following a notable eruption on June 18, the volcano monitoring agency raised Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert to its peak level and extended the exclusion zone to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles), as eruptions grew more frequent.
The volcano’s heightened activity has already led to large-scale evacuations. After an earlier eruption in 2024, approximately 6,500 residents fled their homes, and the island’s Frans Seda Airport was shut down.
The airport remains closed due to persistent seismic disturbances.
Standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of a twin volcano pair alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan, located in Flores Timur district.
Monday’s blast is considered one of the most significant volcanic eruptions in Indonesia since Mount Merapi’s 2010 eruption in central Java, which resulted in 353 deaths and displaced over 350,000 people.
Situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Indonesia, home to over 280 million people, regularly experiences seismic upheaval and is home to 120 active volcanoes.