Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Erupts in Indonesia

Flores Island, Indonesia —(Map)

On Tuesday, a volcano in Indonesia called Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, erupted. The eruption sent a huge cloud of ash and smoke 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) into the sky, causing serious problems with air travel to and from popular tourist sites in Indonesia. No injuries have been reported.

Indonesia is a country made up of thousands of islands. The island nation is located in the “Ring of Fire” – a large area in the Pacific Ocean where earthquakes and volcanoes are common. Indonesia has 120 active volcanoes.

One of these active volcanoes is Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores Island. Mount Lewotobi is about 5,250 feet (1,600 meters) tall, and has two peaks close together. The other peak, Lewotobi Perempuan, has been quiet for a long time.

On Tuesday, a volcano in Indonesia called Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, erupted. The eruption sent a huge cloud of ash and smoke 6.8 miles (11 kilometers) into the sky (above), causing serious problems with air travel. The volcano first erupted on Tuesday evening, blasting out an ash cloud that could be seen from very far away.

Lewotobi Laki-laki first erupted on Tuesday evening, blasting out an ash cloud that could be seen from nearly 100 miles (160 kilometers) away.

The Indonesian government raised the alert level to its highest level, and told people to stay at least five miles (eight kilometers) away from the volcano. People living near the volcano were moved to safer areas. There was concern that rain could possibly cause dangerous conditions.

On Wednesday morning, the volcano erupted again, sending another ash cloud 0.6 miles (1 kilometer) into the air. Ash from the eruptions fell on villages far away from the volcano.

The airport on Flores Island has been closed until Thursday. The ash also forced the closing of the airport in Bali. Dozens of flights serving the island have been canceled. Above, a passenger looks at a board showing several flights marked “Cancel Due to Volcano” in the Bali airport on Wednesday.

The eruptions have affected air traffic, a key method of transportation in the island nation. The airport on Flores Island has been closed until Thursday. The ash also forced the closing of the airport in Bali. Dozens of flights serving the island have been canceled. That includes flights between Indonesian islands, as well as connections to places like Australia, China, India, Malaysia, and New Zealand.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has been very active in recent months. “Rumbling” from the volcano comes from earthquakes deep below the volcano that aren’t too powerful. Normally, the volcano rumbles an average of 10 or fewer times a day. But before this eruption, it rumbled 50 times in two hours. The volcano also erupted in March and again in May, raising concerns and causing flight delays.

The volcano’s most serious recent eruption came last November. At that time, a series of eruptions took the lives of nine people and forced thousands of people from the area.

The islands of Bali and Flores are both popular with travelers, and the current eruption has left a number of tourists stuck temporarily. One travel agency said it knew of over 1,000 tourists who had to stay in Bali because of cancellations.

Not everyone was upset to have to stay longer. As one tourist told CNN, “I see it as a blessing in disguise that we’re safe and well.”