Flight ‘red alert' issued & tsunami fears as giant SIX-MILE high ash cloud soars from Mount Lewotobi volcano eruption
A FLIGHT "red alert" has been issued and tsunami fears loom as a gargantuan six-mile high ash cloud soars from Mount Lewotobi after the volcano erupted.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people.
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The Australian government has issued a "red" aviation alert following the unbelievable eruption.
And Japan's Meteorological Agency has launched an investigation into what the tsunami impact could be due to the explosion.
Terrifying footage taken from a residential area nearby shows a gargantuan plume of grey smoke erupting from the volcano.
Visual observations taken over the last two days saw a significant increase in volcanic activity from Mount Lewotobi.
The country's volcanology agency said it had raised the alert level of the volcano to the most dangerous, warning of potential lava flows if it rains.
Volcano Observation Post Officer Yohanes Kolli Sorywutun confirmed the eruption in a statement.
He said: "There was an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 17:35 WITA with an observed ash column height of 10,000m above the peak (11,584 m above sea level)."
Authorities in Indonesia said: "The public and tourists are advised not to carry out activities within a radius of 7km and the southwest-northeast sector 8 km from the eruption center, and to remain calm and follow the directions of the local government."
In November last year, 10 people died after Mount Lewotobi spewed a fiery column of lava.
Hot ashes hit several villages, burning down houses including a convent of Catholic nuns.
Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.
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The Sun
3 hours ago
- The Sun
Even MORE tourist hotspot flights cancelled after gargantuan volcanic eruption that spewed ash & sparked tsunami fear
DOZENS more flights to tourist hotspots have been cancelled after a massive ash cloud exploded from a volcano in Indonesia. Mount Lweotobi Laki-laki was seen spewing plumes of ash more than 11km into the sky on Tuesday - sparking fears of an impending tsunami. 7 7 7 Authorities raised the highest red alert and residents have been urged to avoid activities within a 7km radius around the crater. Multiple airlines have since delayed or cancelled flights to and from Bali, the popular holiday destination west of Flores. These include Air India, Air New Zealand, Jetstar, Juneyao Airlines, Singapore Airlines and Virgin Australia. Bali's Gusti Ngurah rai International Airport showed that almost 40 flights have been cancelled due to the explosion. A number of domestic AirAsia flights heading to Flores have also been axed. Japan's Meteorological Agency is investigating whether the eruption - with a 16,000-metre plume of ash - could spark a tsunami. The organisation said: "The possibility of a tsunami hitting Japan is currently under investigation. "If this eruption were to cause a tsunami to reach Japan, it is expected to arrive as early as 10pm in the Okinawa Prefecture area." They added: "The expected maximum height of the tsunami is unknown." Terrifying footage taken from a residential area nearby showed the moment a gargantuan plume of and orange and grey smoke erupted from the volcano. Shocking moment 1,000ft fiery lava jet erupts in 6-hour volcano frenzy as scientists warn of wind spreading toxic gas The humongous mushroom cloud towered over horrified locals who watched on as dark smoke spewed into the air. Visual observations taken earlier this week saw a significant increase in volcanic activity from Mount Lewotobi. The country's volcanology agency said it had raised the volcano's alert to its highest and most dangerous level. It also warned of potential lava flows if it rains. Volcano Observation Post Officer Yohanes Kolli Sorywutun confirmed the eruption in a statement. He said: "There was an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 17:35 WITA." He added that there was an "observed ash column height of 10,000m above the peak (11,584 m above sea level)". Authorities in Indonesia said: "The public and tourists are advised not to carry out activities within a radius of 7km and the southwest-northeast sector 8 km from the eruption center." They also advised all those nearby to "remain calm and follow the directions of the local government". "People around disaster-prone areas should be aware of the potential for lava floods if heavy rain occurs," authorities also warned. 7 7 7 They provided instructions to the public if they encountered raining ash. "Residents affected by ash rain are advised to use masks or nose and mouth covers," officials said. In November last year, 10 people died after Mount Lewotobi spewed a fiery column of lava. Hot ashes hit several villages, burning down houses including a convent of Catholic nuns. Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates. In April 2024, a remote volcano in Indonesia erupted and sent a tower of ash more than five kilometres into the sky. Thousands were evacuated and an international airport was closed after Mount Ruang erupted several times. Within the same month, the 725-metre-tall volcano had already erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing more than 6,000 people to flee their homes.
BBC News
8 hours ago
- BBC News
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki: One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes erupts
One of the Indonesia's most active volcanoes, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, began erupting on Tuesday sending large plumes of ash and smoke high into the powerful eruption saw a huge volcanic ash clouds reaching nearly seven miles into the living in nearby villages were moved to safety and several flights to and from the popular neighbouring tourist island of Bali were also in the country have raised regional alerts to their highest level and have asked residents and tourists to avoid the area close to the volcano. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki - what's happened? The south-east Asian country of Indonesia is made up of more than 17,000 experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Lewotobi Laki-laki is a 1,584m high volcano located on the tourist island of twin-peaked volcano has erupted multiple times in the past few months - most recently in latest eruption saw volcanic ash sent more than 6.8 miles (nearly 11km) into the and dust covered roads and roofs of local neighbourhoods and people in some nearby villages were moved to have raised the alert level of the volcano to the most severe, warning of possible lava flows if heavy rain flights to and from nearby Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled or delayed due to the huge ash added that tremors were still being detected on Wednesday, indicating ongoing volcanic which means "man" in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m volcano named Perempuan, the Indonesian word for "woman". What is the Pacific Ring of Fire? The Ring of Fire refers to a string of volcanoes, earthquake sites and tectonic plates around the spreads across around 25,000 miles from the southern tip of South America all the way to New plates, huge slabs of the Earth's crust, are not fixed but are constantly move on top a of layer of solid and molten these pieces move they can cause earthquakes or volcanoes, or both. Roughly 90% of all earthquakes occur along this area and the ring is dotted with 75% of all active volcanoes on Earth - that's 452 individual active volcanoes.
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The Independent
9 hours ago
- The Independent
Is it safe to travel to Bali and rest of Indonesia after volcanic eruption? Your rights as flights cancelled
Air travel has been thrown into chaos across Southeast Asia and Australia after an Indonesian volcano shot hot ash more than six miles into the air, causing dozens of flight cancellations on Wednesday. Multiple airlines, including Jetstar, AirAsia and Virgin Australia, had cancelled flights after grey ash clouds spewed out of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of Indonesia 's most active volcanoes, on Tuesday evening. Cultural hub and popular tourist hotspot, Bali, has experienced the majority of disruptions to its arrivals and departures that are flying to or from Australia, Singapore, Malaysia and domestic destinations. Mount Lewotobi's past eruptions have resulted in fatalities, such as in November 2024, when at least nine people were killed and many more injured as ash as high as 2,000m was sent into the air and scattered lava, gravel and ash up to 7km from its crater. Where has the volcano erupted? Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, found on the Indonesian island of Flores, erupted at 5.35pm local time on Tuesday and spewed out 10,000m (about 32,800ft) of grey clouds in the air that could be seen from 150km away. Dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano were forced to evacuate their houses, officials at the local disaster mitigation agency said. The villages have been filled with thick ash, gravel and sand, while remaining residents have been warned of heavy rainfall triggering lava flows. Indonesia's Geology Agency has expanded the danger zone surrounding the volcano to 8km from the crater. Will my flight be cancelled? Bali's main airport, I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport, has reported that a large number of flights have been cancelled due to the volcanic eruption. Airlines will usually cancel or delay flights if there is volcanic ash within the flight path for the safety of passengers. Jet aircraft engines, which power the pressurisation system in cabins, can be damaged by ash and can ultimately fail, as well as block the visibility in the cockpit. Arrivals to the airport from Singapore, most cities in Australia, and Kuala Lumpur in Malaysia make up the most cancellations. Other flights have been able to land, albeit with some almost two hours behind schedule. Flights departing Bali have also been affected, with some journeys to India, New Zealand, Australia, Malaysia, Singapore, and domestic Indonesian flights cancelled late Tuesday and throughout Wednesday. Alongside AirAsia and Jetstar, other airlines such as Virgin Australia, Vietnam Airlines, Malaysia Airlines, KLM, Tigerair and Batik Air have seen delays and cancellations due to the ash clouds entering the atmosphere. Indonesia's two other main aviation hubs, Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta and Kualanamu International Airport near Medan, are located further away from Mount Lewotobi. What are my rights if my flight is cancelled? The majority of flights that are cancelled or delayed are those operating in Southeast Asia and Australia, with regional airlines mostly affected. As a passenger, you are only covered by UK law if you are departing from an airport in the UK on any airline, arriving at an airport in the UK on an EU or UK airline, or arriving at an airport in the EU on a UK airline. Due to the cancelled flights not falling under these categories, British passengers should contact their airline to find out what rights they have if their flight is disrupted. Most airlines will rebook you on their first flight to your destination where space is available at no extra cost, and some will cover accommodation, meals and phone call costs while waiting for the flight. Compensation is usually not available when the cause of cancellation was outside the airline's control. In this case, the eruption of a volcano, would not have been the airline's fault. What is the government's advice? The UK's Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office (FCDO) has not released any specific travel advice relating to the recent volcanic eruption. However, it does have some general advice relating to visiting Indonesia's volcanoes, including Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki. The FCDO advises against all travel to a number of volcanoes in Indonesia: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province to within 7km of the crater Mount Sinabung, Karo Regency, North Sumatra to within 5km of the crater Mount Marapi, West Sumatra to within 3km of the crater Mount Semeru, Lumajang Regency, East Java to within 5km of the crater and in the south-east of Mount Semura to within 500m from any riverbank of the Besuk Kobokan river for 13km from the crater Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi to within 7km of the crater Mount Ibu, North Maluku Province to within 7km of the crater Can I cancel my holiday? As the Foreign Office has not warned against any specific travel to Indonesia relating to Tuesday's volcanic eruption, there will be no special circumstances in place to be able to cancel a trip for a full refund. The conditions for cancelling your trip will be dependent on your holiday provider, so it's best to contact them if you're looking to postpone. There is no obligation for companies to refund bookings if you want to cancel, and you will not be able to claim on your travel insurance due to safety concerns unless government advice changes. If you do have travel insurance, some policies include natural disaster cover for an event that prevents you from reaching your holiday destination. Check your insurance policies and speak to your insurer to see where you stand.
