Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Erupts Again, Spewing 18km-High Ash Plume

Hadisur Rahman, JadeTimes Staff

H. Rahman is a Jadetimes news reporter covering Asia

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Image Source: Badan Geologi via AP

One of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, erupted for the second consecutive day on Saturday, hurling a massive column of ash and volcanic debris up to 18 kilometers into the atmosphere and blanketing surrounding villages in thick residue.

According to Indonesia’s Geology Agency, the eruption began early Saturday morning and was preceded by a powerful explosion on Friday night, which sent ash clouds soaring 10 kilometers high and illuminated the night sky with glowing lava and lightning bursts. Both eruptions occurred within a five-hour span, triggering widespread concern among residents and officials.

The agency reported that searing pyroclastic flows a dangerous mix of gas, rocks, and lava cascaded as far as 5 kilometers down the volcano’s slopes. Drone footage captured intense magma movement inside the crater, accompanied by seismic tremors recorded on nearby monitors.

Volcanic material, including hot gravel the size of thumbs, was ejected up to 8 kilometers from the crater, covering neighboring towns and rice fields in a blanket of gray ash. Authorities have warned locals to remain alert, particularly due to heavy rains that could cause lahars (volcanic mudflows) in rivers connected to the volcano.

The volcano, located on the island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province, stands at 1,584 meters and has remained at Indonesia’s highest alert level since June 18. The government has doubled the exclusion zone to 7 kilometers, advising residents to evacuate from high-risk zones.

In the wake of previous eruptions including a deadly sequence in November that claimed nine lives and destroyed thousands of homes the Indonesian government has permanently relocated thousands of residents from the high-risk areas surrounding Lewotobi Laki-laki.

Saturday’s explosion ranks among Indonesia’s most powerful volcanic events since the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi, which killed more than 350 people and displaced hundreds of thousands on Java island.

This recent eruption also comes just weeks after a major explosion on July 7, which disrupted air travel across Bali, forcing delays and cancellations at Ngurah Rai International Airport.

Indonesia, an archipelago of over 280 million people, is home to 120 active volcanoes and lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, one of the world’s most seismically active regions. The country routinely experiences volcanic eruptions, earthquakes, and tsunamis.

So far, no casualties have been reported from the latest activity at Lewotobi Laki-laki. However, authorities continue to monitor the situation closely and urge citizens to comply with evacuation orders and stay informed through official channels.