7-11-2024 (JAKARTA) Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, an active volcano in eastern Indonesia, unleashed a series of dramatic eruptions on Thursday, sending massive plumes of ash skyward amidst spectacular displays of volcanic lightning, prompting residents to flee in terror.
The volatile volcano, which had already claimed nine lives earlier this week, erupted seven times throughout Thursday, with the most powerful blast propelling ash an estimated eight kilometres into the atmosphere, according to the Indonesian volcanology agency.
The latest eruptions follow Monday and Tuesday’s deadly events that necessitated the establishment of a seven-kilometre exclusion zone around the 1,703-metre twin-peaked volcano on Flores island, a popular tourist destination.
Local resident Anastasia Adriyani, 41, who resides outside the exclusion zone, described the intensity of Thursday’s events. “In all my years living in Lewolaga village, I’ve never witnessed such a powerful eruption,” she recounted. “I was preparing meals at the community kitchen for evacuees when it occurred. The fear drove me to abandon everything and rush home.”
At nearby evacuation centres, displaced residents watched anxiously as the volcano continued its violent activity. “The thought of our village weighs heavily on our hearts, and these persistent eruptions have left us in a state of constant worry,” said Antonius Puka, 56, speaking from a temporary shelter.
The volcano, whose name “Laki-Laki” translates to “man” in Indonesian, stands alongside its less active twin peak, named after the Indonesian word for “woman”. Authorities have elevated the alert status to its highest level, though no immediate damage to surrounding villages has been reported from Thursday’s eruptions.
Eyewitnesses, including an AFP journalist, observed schoolchildren and residents fleeing as the eruptions intensified, accompanied by dramatic displays of volcanic lightning illuminating the ash-filled sky.
Indonesia’s location within the Pacific “Ring of Fire” makes it particularly susceptible to volcanic and seismic activity.
