The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located on Indonesia’s East Lesser Sunda Islands, has erupted once again after a month of relative calm, sending a towering column of volcanic ash into the sky.
The powerful eruption launched ash plumes as high as 11 kilometers (about 36,000 feet), forcing the cancellation of numerous flights to and from Bali, a popular tourist hotspot.
According to a report by AFP on Wednesday, the Indonesian government has suspended all operations at Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport in East Nusa Tenggara, where the Lewotobi volcano is located, citing passenger safety concerns. This latest eruption is reportedly the largest in the past six months.
Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport announced that several inbound flights from major hubs like India, Singapore, and Australia were grounded due to the ash cloud. Singapore Airlines confirmed it had canceled four flights between Singapore and Bali. Scoot, its budget airline subsidiary, also scrapped flights to nearby Lombok Island, noting safety risks posed by the volcanic ash.
At around 5:35 p.m. on Tuesday, the Lewotobi volcano erupted again, sending ash soaring 11 kilometers into the sky. In response, Indonesian authorities raised the alert level to the highest tier and ordered emergency evacuations in two nearby villages.
Ongoing seismic tremors, including deep underground activity and tectonic shifts, prompted the decision to elevate the warning level. The eruption continued into the early morning hours of Wednesday, producing another ash plume that reached about 1 kilometer high.
Avi Hallan from the local disaster management agency described the situation on the ground: “The roads in both villages are now covered in thick ash, gravel, and sand.” Thankfully, no casualties have been reported so far.
This eruption is the latest in a string of recent volcanic events. On May 19, Lewotobi released ash up to 5.5 kilometers high. In November of last year, multiple explosive eruptions tragically claimed 10 lives.
Indonesia is home to 127 active volcanoes and is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a region known for its intense volcanic and seismic activity.
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