Watch: Mount Lewotobi erupts in Indonesia; sends ashes 10kms in the sky
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupts in Indonesia (Pic credit: AP)
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano located in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Tuesday with a massive ash plume, as high as 10 kilometres into the sky.
The eruption prompted authorities to raise the alert status to its highest level and led to the cancellation of at least two dozen international and domestic flights, according to the official website of Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport.
Though the airport remains operational, its customer service confirmed that flights are being cancelled based on specific routes and airline decisions.
Among those affected are Jetstar and Virgin Australia flights headed to various Australian cities. Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's TigerAir, and China's Juneyao Airlines also grounded services citing volcanic activity.
Volcanic ash from the eruption rained down on nearby villages, with the country's disaster mitigation agency reporting at least one village evacuated by Tuesday night.
No injuries or damage have been reported so far.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre twin-peaked volcano located on the island of Flores, is paired with its quieter counterpart, Lewotobi Perempuan – named after the Indonesian word for 'woman,' in contrast to 'Laki-Laki,' which means 'man.' The volcano has shown activity in recent months; in November, a series of eruptions from Laki-Laki killed nine people and grounded scores of international flights to Bali.
Authorities continue to monitor the situation closely as emergency measures remain in place.
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