The Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted three times on Friday, sending an ash column 8,000 meters (26,200 feet) high. Authorities have expanded the danger zone around the volcano, with evacuations underway. The remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has experienced hundreds of earthquakes, and visible volcanic activity has dramatically increased over the last week. The eruption alert has been raised to the highest level, and the danger zone extended from 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater.
Flights between Australia and Bali have been canceled due to the eruption, and other international and domestic flights to Bali have been delayed. Residents have been urged to stay vigilant as heavy rainfall could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano, according to Indonesia’s geology agency. The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in November resulted in nine fatalities and dozens of injuries.
Standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), the mountain is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the Flores Timur district. Indonesia, an archipelago with 270 million people, is prone to seismic activity with 120 active volcanoes. It is located along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped belt of seismic fault lines surrounding the Pacific Basin.
