Nature’s fury: A filepic of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupting on Aug 18. — AFP
A volcano on the eastern side of the country has erupted multiple times, spewing a column of ash kilometres into the sky after authorities raised its alert level to the highest, prompting a local airport to suspend operations.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584m-high twin-peaked volcano on Flores island, launched into a series of eruptions on Friday evening, with the largest at 10.46pm local time sending volcanic material six kilometres above its peak, the volcanology agency said in a statement.
Volcanic activities resumed yesterday morning, with the agency recording several eruptions, including one that sent an ash tower 2.5km into the sky.
The eruptions came after the geology agency raised the volcano’s alert level to the highest of Indonesia’s four-tiered system on Friday night.
Geology agency head Muhammad Wafid warned residents and tourists to stay at least six kilometres from the volcano’s crater and said volcanic ash could disrupt airport operations.
“Volcanic ash from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s eruption could also disrupt airport operations and flight paths if it spreads towards the airport area and aircraft routes,” he said in a statement.
Residents, particularly for communities near rivers, should also be on alert for the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, Wafid added.
An airport that serves domestic flights in the town of Maumere, also on Flores, suspended its operations following the eruptions. — AFP
