Reports from Indonesia's Disaster Management Agency

Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki Erupts Overnight, Killing Nine and Sending Ash 40,000 Feet High

Nov 4, 2024, 03:23 AM

Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano on Flores Island erupted multiple times overnight on Sunday, sending ash up to 40,000 feet and prompting a red aviation alert. The first eruption lasted 24 minutes, followed by a second 3-minute blast. The eruptions have resulted in at least six to nine deaths, according to Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency and the East Flores Regency Communication and Information Service, with numbers possibly rising. The volcanic activity destroyed a Catholic convent, burned houses, and forced the evacuation of several nearby villages in the Wulanggitang District. Villages are blanketed with thick ash, and the country's volcanology agency has raised the alert level to its highest tier, warning of potential rain-induced lava floods.