MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — On Thursday, Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted with even greater intensity than during its previous eruption three days earlier, which tragically resulted in the deaths of nine individuals and injuries to many more.
Fortunately, there were no reported casualties from the latest eruption, thanks to the timely evacuation of residents living within a 7-kilometer (4.3 miles) radius from the volcano’s crater. Kensius Didimus, a local disaster agency official, confirmed that these residents had relocated to safer areas.
The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) tall volcano on the isolated island of Flores erupted multiple times on Thursday, releasing massive ash clouds that soared 8,000 meters (26,240 feet, nearly 5 miles high). Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, reported that this was one of eleven significant eruptions occurring that day.
The situation remains serious, as Monday’s eruption had already displaced over 10,000 people across ten villages. Following that event, approximately 6,000 villagers were forced into emergency shelters. The eruption caused extensive destruction, damaging seven schools, nearly two dozen homes, and a convent on the predominantly Catholic island.
In the aftermath of Monday’s eruption, volcanic materials, including hot rocks, lava, and ash, were scattered as far as 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the volcano. Officials discovered craters measuring 13 meters (43 feet) wide and 5 meters (16 feet) deep in several locations, including the ruins of a school.
Hadi Wijaya emphasized the evolving nature of the volcano’s activity: “This eruption presents a different pattern compared to the eruption in January. Previously, eruptions primarily released materials around the summit, followed by lava flows.” The volcanology center is currently analyzing changes in the volcano’s behavior to assist in planning safe relocation for affected residents.
The local government of East Nusa Tenggara has been urged to close the primary road connecting Maumere, the island’s largest city, to Larantuka, which passes through the dangerous area surrounding the volcano. Moreover, the national volcano monitoring agency has elevated the alert status of Lewotobi Laki Laki to the highest level and expanded the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius, barring any activity there.
Authorities have cautioned the thousands of evacuated residents against returning home. Plans are underway to permanently relocate approximately 16,000 individuals from the danger zone. Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency, mentioned that families awaiting new housing will receive monthly compensation of 500,000 rupiah ($32) while they wait.
Earlier this year, about 6,500 people were evacuated in January when Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting. While that incident resulted in no injuries or major damage, it caused the closure of the nearby Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport, which remains shut due to ongoing seismic activity.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is part of a pair of stratovolcanoes in East Flores, locally referred to as the “husband-and-wife mountains,” with “Laki laki” meaning man and its counterpart being Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman.
Additionally, it was reported that another volcano, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, erupted on Thursday, releasing thick ash clouds multiple times and affecting nearby villages. Fortunately, there have been no reports of casualties from this event either.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of Indonesia’s 120 active volcanoes in a nation that is home to 280 million people. The country is located along the “Ring of Fire,” a series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean, making it susceptible to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.
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Karmini reported from Jakarta. Associated Press journalists Edna Tarigan and Andi Jatmiko contributed to this report.
