18-06-2025
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupts, spewing 10km-high ash cloud
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted with giant ash and smoke plumes again on Wednesday, after prompting the evacuation of villages and flight cancellations, including to and from the holiday island of Bali.
Several eruptions sent ash into the sky from Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon. In one eruption, 10km-high thick, grey clouds expanded into a mushroom-shaped formation visible up to 150km away.
Indonesia raised its eruption alert to the highest level, and the danger zone which people are recommended to leave was expanded to 8km from the crater.
The Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki monitoring station was also evacuated because of the danger from falling gravel thrown out in the eruption. No casualties have been reported.
Dozens of flights were cancelled on Wednesday, including those connecting Bali to cities in Australia, Malaysia, India and China, according to the website of Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport. Volcanic ash can pose a risk to plane engines.
Ash and debris fell in a number of places outside the danger zone, including the villages of Boru, Hewa and Watobuku.
The 1,584-metre Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the district of Flores Timur, and activity is regular.
An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens. It also erupted in March.
