Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Erupts Again, Sends Massive Ash Plumes Into Sky

Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Erupts Again, Spews Ash 18 Km Into Sky.

Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of the country’s most active volcanoes, erupted for a second consecutive day early Saturday, sending a towering column of ash and volcanic material up to 18 kilometers into the sky and blanketing nearby villages in debris. No casualties have been reported so far.

The powerful eruption followed another blast late Friday evening, which ejected ash up to 10 kilometers high and lit up the night sky with glowing lava and volcanic lightning. Both eruptions occurred within a five-hour span, signaling a significant spike in volcanic activity.

According to Indonesia’s Geological Agency, the volcano discharged a cascade of hot gas clouds, rocks, and lava that surged up to 5 kilometers down its slopes. Drones monitoring the crater confirmed deep magma movement, triggering tremors picked up by seismic equipment.

Volcanic debris, including thumb-sized hot gravel, rained down as far as 8 kilometers from the crater, coating surrounding towns and villages in thick ash. Authorities warned that heavy rainfall could trigger secondary hazards like lava flows in rivers that originate from the volcano.

Saturday’s eruption is one of the most forceful in Indonesia since Mount Merapi’s deadly 2010 eruption on Java island, which killed over 350 people and displaced hundreds of thousands.

The latest Lewotobi eruption also comes less than a month after a major July 7 event disrupted dozens of flights at Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport and blanketed farmlands and roads with volcanic mud and rocks.

Standing 1,584 meters tall on the remote island of Flores, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki has remained at the highest alert level since erupting on June 18. Authorities have since expanded the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer radius and permanently relocated thousands of residents following a deadly eruption last November that killed nine people and damaged thousands of homes.

Indonesia, home to over 120 active volcanoes, lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a volatile arc of seismic activity where tectonic plates frequently collide, causing frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.