The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted once again on Friday in eastern Indonesia, releasing a massive column of ash into the sky and prompting authorities to extend the safety perimeter for local residents.
Rising to 1,703 meters, this volcano, situated on the tourist island of Flores, has erupted more than a dozen times this week, resulting in nine fatalities following its initial eruption from Monday night into Tuesday morning.
Prihatin Hadi Wijaya, director of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), reported at a press conference that there were “two” significant eruptions. The first occurred at 1:55 PM (05:55 GMT), producing an ash cloud that reached a height of “4,000 meters.” A second eruption followed just one minute later at 1:56 PM, with the ash plume soaring to a height between “eight to ten kilometers.”
He noted that monitoring station officials had to be evacuated and that the security perimeter surrounding the crater was expanded to eight kilometers.
As of now, no immediate damage has been reported in nearby villages due to the eruptions on Friday.
On Thursday, the volcano had already ejected ash nearly eight kilometers into the atmosphere. During the nighttime eruption from Monday to Tuesday, it expelled flaming rocks into populated areas, igniting wooden houses.
Initially, authorities reported ten fatalities but later revised the figure downward. Several dozen individuals sustained injuries.
The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted yet again on Tuesday, sending ash one kilometer into the air.
