Jakarta, July 7, (dpa/GNA) – The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano on the Indonesian island of Flores, erupted again on Monday, sending a huge column of ash some 18,000 metres into the sky.
The eruption at 11 am (0700 GMT) was accompanied by a loud explosion and pyroclastic flows that moved about 5 kilometres north and north-east of the crater, according to the Volcanology and Geological Hazards Authority (PVMBG).
Such flows are a mixture of hot gas, ash, rock and lava that flows down the volcanic slope at high speed.
There were initially no reports of injuries or fatalities.
According to the authorities, however, the eruption is still ongoing, meaning that further explosions are possible.
The 1,584-metre-high Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been active since 2023 and is one of the twin peaks of the volcano, the other being Perempuan Lewotobi.
The peaks of the two mountains are about 2 kilometres apart.
The last major eruption on the volcano was in mid-June.
In November 2024, the volcano hurled red-hot rock for kilometres, killing 10 people.
As a precautionary measure, an exclusion zone was set up within a radius of 6 kilometres around the volcano. Residents and visitors were asked to avoid the area.
It is unclear whether Monday’s eruption will lead to air traffic disruption.
Ash clouds from the eruption had not reached nearby Bali’s airspace as of 3:30 pm, airport general manager Ahmas Syaugi Shahab said in a statement.
“The airport continues to operate normally,” he said.
However, a total of 24 flights were cancelled by various airlines, due to the eruption’s wider impact on flight routes.
Indonesia lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on Earth.
GNA