Indonesian Volcano Erupts Again... Volcanic Ash Plume Soars 18 km

The highest level of alert has been issued as an Indonesian volcano erupted for the second consecutive day.

Luwatobi Laki Laki volcano eruption scene. Photo by Yonhap News

원본보기 아이콘

According to major international news outlets on August 2 (local time), the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano (1,584 meters above sea level) located on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara Province, eastern Indonesia, erupted at around 8:48 p.m. the previous day.

The Indonesian Geological Agency stated that the eruption was caused by gas accumulation over the past several weeks, and reported, "The volcanic ash plume was observed to reach 10 kilometers above the summit."

The volcano erupted again at 1:05 a.m. on the same day, following the previous day's eruption, and a massive column of volcanic ash soared up to 18 kilometers into the sky.

The Geological Agency explained that volcanic ash and lava flowed down the slopes of the volcano for up to 5 kilometers, and drone observations showed that magma was actively moving, with tremors also detected by seismographs.

So far, there have been no reports of casualties or property damage, but authorities are maintaining the highest level of alert.

This eruption is the largest since the 2010 eruption of Mount Merapi in Yogyakarta, Sumatra Island. At that time, the Mount Merapi eruption killed more than 350 people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.

The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano also erupted in November last year, resulting in 9 deaths and more than 60 injuries.

Indonesia is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, where earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are frequent, and there are over 120 active volcanoes in the country.

© The Asia Business Daily(www.asiae.co.kr). All rights reserved.