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Indonesia on high alert after volcano erupts in Lesser Sunda Islands
Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano spews out a massive ash cloud during an eruption on Tuesday on East Flores in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province. Photo courtesy Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center/EPA-EFE
June 18 (UPI) -- Indonesia's Lewotobi active Laki Lai volcano spewed searing miles-high ash column into the skies over Flores island, 440 miles east of Bali, grounding flights serving the popular tourist island all across the region
The Geology Agency said the 5,197-foot volcano erupted at 5.35 p.m. local time, sending a cloud of hot ash and gases 6.8 miles above the island that is famous for its Komodo dragons and marine life and is a popular dive location.
Tourists were urged not to travel to Flores after the central government in Jakarta placed the country on its highest alert level, with residents of two villages inside a 5-mile exclusion zone around the crater of the twin volcano evacuated from their homes.
The island's Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport was closed until Thursday at the earliest.
Flights remained on the ground at Bali's Denpasar International Airport, including for domestic and regional routes as well as internationally, as far afield as India and China and Australia and New Zealand.
Budget carriers Jetstar and Scoot cancelled flights to Bali scheduled to depart Singapore's Changi Airport while AirAsia canceled at least one of its three daily flights to Jakarta.
Bali's Come2Indonesia travel operator told CNN the cancellations would impact more than 1,000 of its customers booked on trips to Bali and Komodo National Park, where Flores is located.
Laki Laki, the male of the two peaks, which is highly active -- and deadly -- had been showing signs that an eruption was imminent in recent days with many as 25 rumblings an hour, compared with an average of 8 to 10 a day normally.
A series of eruptions in November killed nine people after molten rock bombs landed on villages with more than 10,000 people forced to leave the area and caused serious travel disruption.
