Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi erupts, forcing village evacuations
LEMBATA, Indonesia: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted dramatically on June 18, generating substantial ash and smoke plumes. The eruption resulted in the evacuation of nearby villages and the cancellation of numerous flights, including those to the popular resort island of Bali.
The series of eruptions, which began on the evening of June 17 and continued into the next day, propelled ash to altitudes of 5,000 meters (approximately 16,400 feet). One of the eruptions produced thick, gray clouds that reached heights of 10,000 meters (around 32,800 feet), creating a mushroom-shaped ash formation visible up to 150 kilometers (nearly 93 miles) away.
In response to the escalating volcanic activity, the alert level was raised to the highest designation, and the danger zone recommending evacuation was extended to an area of up to eight kilometers (about five miles) from the crater.
Officials also relocated personnel from the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring station, which is situated seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the crater, due to the threat posed by falling debris. Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties as a result of the eruptions.
Despite the danger zone being carefully defined, ash and debris were detected over a wider area, affecting villages such as Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Residents from Nurabelen village in Ile Bura subdistrict sought refuge in evacuation centers, with reports indicating some evacuated to Nileknoheng village, located 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the volcano's crater.
Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, stated that the safety of residents remains a priority.
The impact of the eruptions extended to air travel, with dozens of flights grounded on June 18, affecting connections between Bali and cities in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China, as listed on the Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport's website.
Volcanic ash poses a significant risk to aircraft, compelling airlines to cancel flights to maintain passenger safety. This affected thousands of travelers, particularly those relying on Australian carrier Jetstar, which indicated that the ash cloud was expected to dissipate midweek, allowing rescheduling of some services.
Air New Zealand also canceled a return flight to Auckland and offered passengers rebooking options for the subsequent available flights. Additionally, flights to New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong, China, were suspended in light of the ongoing volcanic activity, as indicated on Denpasar airport's website.
Mount Lewotobi Laki, standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), is part of a twin volcano system alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in Flores Timur district. The volcano has exhibited heightened activity over recent months, with previous eruptions claiming lives and necessitating safety measures.
Situated within the "Ring of Fire," Indonesia is home to 120 active volcanoes, making it a region prone to frequent seismic events that affect its population of 270 million.
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Malaysia Sun
15 hours ago
- Malaysia Sun
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi erupts, forcing village evacuations
LEMBATA, Indonesia: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted dramatically on June 18, generating substantial ash and smoke plumes. The eruption resulted in the evacuation of nearby villages and the cancellation of numerous flights, including those to the popular resort island of Bali. The series of eruptions, which began on the evening of June 17 and continued into the next day, propelled ash to altitudes of 5,000 meters (approximately 16,400 feet). One of the eruptions produced thick, gray clouds that reached heights of 10,000 meters (around 32,800 feet), creating a mushroom-shaped ash formation visible up to 150 kilometers (nearly 93 miles) away. In response to the escalating volcanic activity, the alert level was raised to the highest designation, and the danger zone recommending evacuation was extended to an area of up to eight kilometers (about five miles) from the crater. Officials also relocated personnel from the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring station, which is situated seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from the crater, due to the threat posed by falling debris. Fortunately, there have been no reported casualties as a result of the eruptions. Despite the danger zone being carefully defined, ash and debris were detected over a wider area, affecting villages such as Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Residents from Nurabelen village in Ile Bura subdistrict sought refuge in evacuation centers, with reports indicating some evacuated to Nileknoheng village, located 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the volcano's crater. Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency, stated that the safety of residents remains a priority. The impact of the eruptions extended to air travel, with dozens of flights grounded on June 18, affecting connections between Bali and cities in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China, as listed on the Bali I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport's website. Volcanic ash poses a significant risk to aircraft, compelling airlines to cancel flights to maintain passenger safety. This affected thousands of travelers, particularly those relying on Australian carrier Jetstar, which indicated that the ash cloud was expected to dissipate midweek, allowing rescheduling of some services. Air New Zealand also canceled a return flight to Auckland and offered passengers rebooking options for the subsequent available flights. Additionally, flights to New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong, China, were suspended in light of the ongoing volcanic activity, as indicated on Denpasar airport's website. Mount Lewotobi Laki, standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), is part of a twin volcano system alongside Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in Flores Timur district. The volcano has exhibited heightened activity over recent months, with previous eruptions claiming lives and necessitating safety measures. Situated within the "Ring of Fire," Indonesia is home to 120 active volcanoes, making it a region prone to frequent seismic events that affect its population of 270 million.
The Star
2 days ago
- The Star
Flights to Indonesia's Bali resume after disruption by volcano eruption
Passengers look at electronic boards displaying cancelled flights after the nearby Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted, at Ngurah Rai International Airport in Tuban near Denpasar, on Indonesia's resort island of Bali on June 18, 2025. Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali were cancelled on June 18. - AFP JAKARTA: All flights to and from the Indonesian resort island of Bali resumed on Thursday (June 19) after being cancelled or delayed due to eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, officials said. Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Tuesday, spewing ash 11km (7 miles) high. Eighty-seven flights to and from Bali, consisting of 66 international and 21 domestic flights, were affected on Wednesday by the eruption, the Bali airport operator said in a statement. These included connections to Australia, Singapore, Vietnam and Malaysia. On Thursday, flights from Bali departed on schedule to Australia, Vietnam, Singapore, Malaysia and China, Gede Eka Sandi Asmadi, an official at Bali airport, said in a statement. These flights were operated by airlines including Malaysia Airlines, Virgin Australia, JetStar and Singapore Airlines, Asmadi added. "Until now, all the operations have been running smoothly, both departures and arrivals," Asmadi said. Flights operated by Qantas and its low-cost carrier JetStar were scheduled to operate as normal on Thursday, the company said. A number of flights operated by AirAsia Malaysia and AirAsia Indonesia to and from Bali, Lombok and Labuan Bajo, which were cancelled since Wednesday, have also resumed, the airline said. Two airports in East Nusa Tenggara province reopened on Thursday after being temporarily closed on Wednesday. However, authorities extended the closure of Fransiskus Xaverius Seda airport in Maumere until Friday as there was still some volcanic ash in the air posing a risk to flights, the airport's operator said in a post on social media. Dozens of residents living in three villages nearest to the volcano have been evacuated, the local disaster mitigation agency said. According to Indonesia's volcanology agency, Lewotobi has erupted 427 times this year. Tuesday's eruption is the largest since November last year when it erupted several times, and killed at least 9 people. Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates. Reuters
Malay Mail
3 days ago
- Malay Mail
Airlines cancel flights to and from Bali as Mount Lewotobi eruption forces evacuations, threatens lahar floods
SIKKA (Indonesia), June 18 — Dozens of flights to and from Indonesia's resort island of Bali were cancelled on Wednesday, authorities said, after a volcano in the archipelago's east erupted, shooting an ash tower 10 kilometres (six miles) into the sky. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-metre (5,197-foot) volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted on Tuesday, with authorities raising its alert status to the highest level of a four-tiered system. 'Due to volcano activity of Lewatobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara, several flights at I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport are cancelled,' airport operator Angkasa Pura Indonesia told AFP in a statement. The flights cancelled included Jetstar and Virgin Australia services to cities across Australia, with Air India, Air New Zealand, Singapore's Tigerair and China's Juneyao Airlines also cancelling flights 'due to volcano', Bali's international airport website said. Jetstar confirmed cancellations to and from Bali in a statement on its website Wednesday. 'Forecasts show the ash cloud is expected to clear by later tonight. As a result, this afternoon's flights will be delayed to operate later this evening,' it said. Several domestic AirAsia flights leaving for popular tourist hotspot Labuan Bajo on Flores were also cancelled. Bali's Ngurah Rai airport said 32 flights in and out of the island had been cancelled on domestic and international routes. An airport customer service agent told AFP the aviation hub was still operating normally despite the cancelled flights. 'It depends on the route and also the airline,' the agent, who declined to give her name, said. The Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, a relatively smaller airport in nearby Maumere on Flores island was closed until Thursday morning, its authorities said on social media. Ongoing tremors Volcanic ash rained down on several villages around Lewotobi Laki-Laki and forced the evacuation of at least one village late Tuesday, the country's disaster mitigation agency said. Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said in a statement that tremors and eruptions were still being detected on Wednesday morning. 'No less than 450 families from affected villages... have settled in temporary housing equipped with electricity and clean water facilities,' he said. The geology agency said residents and tourists should avoid carrying out any activities within at least seven kilometres of the volcano's crater. It warned of the possibility of hazardous lahar floods – a type of mud or debris flow of volcanic materials – if heavy rain occurs, particularly for communities near rivers. There were no immediate reports of damages or casualties. In November, the volcano erupted multiple times, killing nine people, cancelling scores of international flights to Bali, and forcing thousands to evacuate. Laki-Laki, which means 'man' in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano peak named after the Indonesian word for 'woman'. Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire.' — AFP
