Indonesia volcano: Many flights to Bali cancelled after eruption spews ash 6 miles into sky
Authorities raise highest-level alert and create 8km danger zone after eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki
Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano spewed towering columns of hot ash more than 6 miles into the air, triggering the highest possible volcano alert and causing significant flight cancellations.
One of Indonesia's most active volcanoes east of Bali erupted at 5.35pm local time on Tuesday and unleashed 10,000m (about 32,800ft) of grey clouds in the air that could be seen from 150km away.
Indonesia's Geology Agency expanded the danger zone surrounding the volcano to 8km from the crater and warned residents to be vigilant about heavy rainfall triggering lava flows.
The volcanic activity forced dozens of flights to Bali to be cancelled on Wednesday, with many airlines saying they were closely following the developments.
Virgin Australia, Jetstar and Air New Zealand confirmed cancellations of planes flying out of Bali airport.
Air India, Singapore’s TigerAir and China’s Juneyao Airlines also suspended flight operations “due to volcano”, Bali’s international airport said.
It forced dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano to evacuate their houses, officials at the local disaster mitigation agency said.
An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki – a 1,584m (5,197ft) mountain – in November killed nine people and injured dozens. It also erupted in May.
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Alert raised to the highest level after Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted on Tuesday, spewing towering columns of hot ash into the air. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the danger zone to 8kms (about 5 miles) from the crater.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency said in a statement it recorded the volcano unleashing 10,000m (about 32,800ft) of thick grey clouds on Tuesday afternoon, following significant volcanic activities, including 50 in two hours, rather than the usual daily 8 to 10 activities.
The ashes expanded into a mushroom-shaped ash cloud that could be seen from the cities located 90kms (about 56 miles) to 150kms (nearly 93 miles) from the mountain.
Alert raised to the highest level after Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts
Highest alert issued after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts
Indonesia raised its disaster alert level to the highest possible after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting on Tuesday.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is located on the tourist island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, and the eruption sent a tower of hot ash and smoke reaching 10km high that was visible from 150km away.“
The height of the eruption column was observed at approximately 10,000 metres above the summit. The ash column was observed to be grey with thick intensity,” Indonesia's volcanology agency said, after its alert level was raised to the highest of a four-tiered system.
The eruption caused minor tremors around the volcano and forced the evacuation of at least one village, a spokesperson of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said.
Dozens of Bali flights cancelled after Mount Lewotobi eruption
A number of flights to the Indonesian resort island of Bali were cancelled and operations at the airport in Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province were suspended due to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki laki, officials said on Wednesday.
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Several international flights from India, Singapore and Australia to Bali were hit due to the eruption, the Bali international airport website showed.
The government closed the Fransiskus Xaverius Seda airport in Maumere from Wednesday until Thursday "to ensure the safety of the passengers,” said the airport operator AirNav in its Instagram post.
Two villages near volcano evacuated, officials say
Dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano have been evacuated after the eruption of one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, a National Disaster Mitigation Agency official said.
Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency told Reuters that the villagers had been evacuated.
"Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand," she said, adding no casualties were reported.
Remaining residents were warned to be vigilant about heavy rainfall triggering lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano.
Video shows volcano spewing a huge mushroom cloud into air
In pictures: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupts
Pictures show the moment the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupted and stunned local residents with a towering column of ash rising in the sky.
The pictures also show residents in Talibura village in Sikka, East Nusa Tenggar, cleaning the volcanic ash from their roofs afterwards.
The ash expanded into a mushroom-shaped cloud that could be seen from cities located 90km to 150km from the mountain.
Massive hot ash clouds complicating access to affected areas, disaster agency says
Massive hot ash clouds complicating rescue work, disaster agency saysIndonesia’s national disaster agency said the rapid spread of hot ash clouds had complicated access to affected areas, with darkness, ash rain, and gravel posing challenges for response teams.
The ash fell as far as 7km away from the crater, prompting the staff at a monitoring post to evacuate to a church 1.2km away, the National Disaster Management Agency said on X.
It said the ash fall was reported in villages outside the Disaster-Prone Area radius, including Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku.The agency raised the volcano's status to the highest level three due to the eruption.
Residents near Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki were advised to beware of potential volcanic mudflow in rivers originating from the volcano's peak, especially in areas like Dulipali, Padang Pasir, Nobo, Nurabelen, Klatanlo, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, and Nawakote, if heavy rain occurred.
Mount Lewotobi's past eruptions have proved fatal and forced large-scale evacuations
The volcano eruption in the past has proved fatal for people residing in towns near the active volcano mountains.
In November 2024, at least nine people were killed and many injured after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2,000m into the air and scattered searing lava, gravel and ash up to 7km from its crater.
At least 10,000 people were affected by the eruption across the six villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang in Wulanggitang district.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the two volcanic peaks that make up the Lewotobi twin volcano complex in East Flores, Indonesia, the other being Mount Lewotobi Perempuan.
Known for its periodic eruptions, Laki Laki, meaning “male” in Indonesian, is an active stratovolcano that has long posed a threat to nearby communities.
Its steep slopes and explosive activity make it particularly hazardous, often spewing ash, lava, and pyroclastic material.
Its remote location and limited access often make emergency response efforts challenging during major eruptions.
JetStar says number of flights cancelled and more flights to be delayed
Many international flights from India, Singapore and Australia to Bali were cancelled due to the eruption.
Qantas' low-cost carrier JetStar cancelled several morning flights to Bali from Australia and expects afternoon flights to be delayed.
"Due to volcanic ash caused by an eruption of Mount Lewotobi in Indonesia, a number of Jetstar flights between Australia and Bali have been cancelled this morning," a Jetstar statement read.
"Impacted customers have been notified directly and provided a range of options. At this stage, 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.
"We are reaching out to customers on these flights to advise them of the delay. We continue to monitor the situation closely and will contact customers directly if there are any further changes to our schedule."
In pics: Streets filled with filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand
Thick sheets of grey ash covered the streets and roofs of houses around the villages near the volcano.
The eruption also forced local authorities to evacuate dozens of residents living in two villages near the volcano, Avi Hallan, an official at the local disaster mitigation agency, told Reuters.
"Streets in the two villages were filled with thick ash, gravel, and sand," she said, adding no casualties were reported.
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