Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano again sent massive plumes of scorching ash high miles into the sky today after days of intense eruptions, which have already claimed nine lives and injured dozens more.
Activity at Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province, has escalated significantly since the initial eruption on Monday. Authorities expanded the exclusion zone on Thursday after yet another eruption.
On Friday, the volcano emitted its largest recorded ash plume to date, soaring 10 kilometres (6.2 miles) into the air, according to Hadi Wijaya, head of the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
Friday’s eruption also launched volcanic debris – smouldering rocks, lava, and hot gravel-sized fragments – as far as (five miles (nine kilometres) from the crater.
Today’s eruption saw the 1,584-metre (5,197-foot) volcano emit three further columns of ash, reaching up to 9 kilometres (5.6 miles) into the atmosphere.
No additional casualties were reported on Saturday, but the authorities have since raised Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s alert status to the highest level, further expanding the exclusion zone to a radius of five miles (eight kilometres) on the northwest and southwest slopes.
The ongoing eruptions have left severe damage in their wake, destroying thousands of homes and buildings, including schools, churches, convents, and a seminary on the predominantly Catholic island.
Experts examining the affected areas found craters up to 43 feet (13 metres) wide and 16 feet (five metres) deep caused by falling rocks.
Authorities have urged the thousands of evacuees to stay clear of the danger zone as the government prepares to relocate approximately 16,000 residents. The eruptions throughout the week have impacted over 10,000 people across 14 villages, with the majority now residing in temporary shelters.
To support those displaced, authorities have distributed relief supplies to about 10,700 people sheltering in eight evacuation centres.
Kanesius Didimus, head of the local disaster management agency, reported that over 2,300 homes and public structures had either been destroyed or damaged under the weight of volcanic material.
The eruptions also disrupted transport, destroying a main road that links East Flores district to the nearby Larantuka district.
Meanwhile, the National Disaster Management Agency has pledged to relocate residents from the most affected areas within six months, with each displaced family to receive a monthly stipend of 500,000 rupiah (around £25) until rehousing is complete.
The current eruption follows an earlier event in January, which forced 6,500 residents to evacuate as the volcano spewed thick ash clouds, leading to the temporary closure of Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport on Flores.
The airport remains closed due to ongoing seismic activity, while three other airports in nearby districts, including Ende, Larantuka, and Bajawa, have also been shut since Monday under advisories from Indonesia’s Air Navigation to avoid volcanic ash.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki is one of two stratovolcanoes in East Flores, collectively known locally as the “husband-and-wife mountains.”
As one of Indonesia’s 120 active volcanoes, it underscores the archipelago’s vulnerability to seismic events, given its position along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a highly active series of tectonic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.