Flores, Indonesia – Authorities have issued warnings for residents near the Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano on the island of Flores, urging vigilance for heavy rainfall that could potentially trigger lava flows into local rivers. The volcano, which has been exhibiting increased activity, has deposited thick volcanic residue in nearby towns.
Saturday’s eruption marks a significant event for Indonesia, a nation situated on the seismically active “Ring of Fire.” The country, an archipelago of over 280 million people, is home to 120 active volcanoes. This eruption follows a period of heightened volcanic activity in the region, including a major eruption on July 7 that disrupted air travel to Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport and blanketed surrounding areas with volcanic debris.
Lewotobi Laki laki,standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet),has been under the highest alert level since June 18. The established exclusion zone around the volcano has been expanded to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius due to the increasing frequency of eruptions. This ongoing volcanic activity has led to the permanent relocation of thousands of residents,following earlier eruptions in November that resulted in nine fatalities and the destruction of numerous homes.
The current situation echoes the devastating 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi on the densely populated island of Java. That event, Indonesia’s most volatile volcano’s largest eruption since then, claimed over 350 lives and necessitated the evacuation of hundreds of thousands.
