A volcano erupted on an Indonesian island this Wednesday (15), local time, sending volcanic ash 10 kilometers into the air, the country’s volcanology agency said, forcing authorities to raise the alert system to its maximum level.
The , located in the province of East Nusa Tenggara, erupted on Wednesday at 1:35 am (Tuesday, 3:35 pm in Brasília), for about nine minutes, the country’s Geological Agency said in a statement.
Lewotobi also erupted two hours earlier; volcanic ash from that eruption shot nine kilometers into the air.
On Tuesday night (14), the agency raised its alert level to its highest point after recording “a significant increase in volcano activity” since Monday (13), said Muhammad Wafid.
“People living near the volcano should be aware of the potential volcanic mudflow if heavy rains occur,” the agency head said, adding that people should clear an area of six to seven kilometers around the site.
The volcano last erupted in August. It also erupted in July, causing disruptions to flights to and from the neighboring resort island of Bali.
Dozens of people living in villages near the volcano were evacuated after the eruptions, according to Avelina Manggota Hallan, an official with the local disaster mitigation agency.
Most residents left their villages after the massive eruption, which killed 10 people and damaged thousands of homes in November 2024, Hallan added.
The government has closed Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, located in Maumere, East Nusa Tenggara province, until Thursday, the airport operator said in a social media post.
Indonesia, which has more than 120 active volcanoes, lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity overlapping multiple tectonic plates.
