Indonesia Raises Alert to Maximum After Powerful Eruptions of Mount Lewotobi on Flores Island
Indonesia’s National Volcanology Agency announced that Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia, has erupted several times since Tuesday evening, prompting authorities to declare the highest alert level.
In a statement released Wednesday, the agency reported that the 1,584-meter-high volcano recorded its most powerful eruption that morning, ejecting volcanic materials up to 10 kilometers above its crater. During its first eruption on Tuesday evening, lava rose about nine kilometers above the summit.
The Geological Agency has raised the volcanic alert level to 4, the highest on Indonesia’s four-tier system. Muhammad Wafid, head of the Geology Agency, urged residents and tourists to stay at least six kilometers away from the crater and to remain vigilant against potential mudflows or volcanic debris. He also cautioned that ashfall could disrupt flight operations. As a precaution, authorities have suspended operations at Maumere Airport, located about 60 kilometers from the volcano and serving domestic flights.
