Jakarta, Nov 7 (EFE).- Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in eastern Indonesia, which has seen increasing activity this week, emitted a column of smoke and ash on Thursday that rose to more than 6,500 meters above sea level.
The eruption of the 1,584-meter volcano, located on the island of Flores, was recorded at 10:48 am and lasted about 24 minutes, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation said in its report.
The enormous brown-colored column could be seen from miles away and was preceded by more moderate eruptions, which sent smoke and ash up to a height of between 4,000 and 1,800 meters above sea level.
The agency urged communities affected by the ash fall from Lewotobi Laki-laki to wear masks to avoid effects of the volcanic ash on their respiratory system.
It also warned of the possibility of rain-induced lava floods in rivers originating at the peak of volcano in case of heavy rainfall.
The Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) issued a tsunami warning as a precautionary measure given the volcano’s proximity to the coast and the risk of the eruption triggering a tsunami.
Lewotobi Laki-laki, whose alert status has been elevated to the highest level, has been experiencing increased activity since midnight on Sunday.
Following the eruption at midnight on Sunday, authorities established a exclusion zone of a 7-kilometer (4.3 mile) radius from the volcano’s crater.
This measure affects 8 towns on the slopes of the mountain, with an estimated population of 16,000 people, who the authorities plan to permanently relocate for safety reasons.
The eruption on Sunday night, which sent incandescent rocks miles away and caused fires and damage to numerous buildings in the towns there, killed nine people and left 64 injured.
Indonesia is home to more than 400 volcanoes, of which at least 129 are still active and 65 are classified as dangerous.
The eruption of the Merapi volcano on the island of Sumatra in December 2023 claimed 23 lives.
In May, also around Merapi, at least 60 people lost their lives after heavy rains swept volcanic material into residential areas.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity that is struck by some 7,000 quakes a year, most of them of low magnitude. EFE
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