JAKARTA: Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted on Sunday at 8.17pm Central Indonesia Time (WITA), spewing a 300-meter column of volcanic ash above its peak.
This was confirmed by a monitoring officer of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Herman Yosef Mboro in a written report received here on Sunday, reported Antara.
The ash column was monitored having a height of around 1,884 meters above sea level, with the eruption recorded in a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 2.9 millimeters and a duration of around one minute and 55 seconds.
"The column was grey in color with a thick intensity, headed north and northeast," the officer said.
Currently, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is in a Level III (On Alert) status. For that reason, the local community and visitors are advised against conducting activities within a six-kilometer radius of the center of eruption.
People are also asked to remain calm and follow the directions of the local government and not to believe information from unreliable sources.
The community around Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is also urged to remain alert against the potential rain-triggered cold lava floods in rivers originating at the peak of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki if there is rain with high intensity, including in Dulipali, Nobo, and Boru villages.
Those affected by ashfall are also urged to wear a mask to avoid the negative impacts of the volcanic ash.
