2024-11-08 16:09:00
Maumere. Indonesia’s Lewoto Bila Kiraki volcano continued to spew towering columns of hot ash at high altitudes on Friday. After a massive volcanic eruption that killed nine people and injured dozens more.
Volcanic activity has increased on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province since its first eruption on Monday, forcing authorities to expand the danger zone on Thursday.
Hadi Vijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, told a news conference that the largest ash plume to date was recorded during the recent activity, about 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) high.
Vijaya said the volcano spewed volcanic material, including steaming rocks, lava and thumb-sized fragments of hot gravel and ash, as far as 8 kilometers from the crater on Friday. There were no reports of casualties from the latest volcanic eruption.
The volcano monitoring agency has raised the alert status for Vila Kiraki in Levoto to the highest level.
On Thursday, authorities expanded the danger zone to an 8-kilometer (4.97 mile) radius northwest and southwest of the mountainside because the ash cloud “is currently spreading in all directions,” Vijaya said.
“We will continue to evaluate how far the radius (of the danger zone) should be expanded,” he added.
Volcanic activity damaged schools and thousands of homes and buildings, including monasteries, churches and a seminary on the predominantly Catholic island.
Craters and damage in Indonesia
Experts at the site discovered craters up to 13 meters (43 feet) wide and 5 meters (16.4 feet) deep, formed by rocks thrown up by volcanic eruptions.
Authorities have warned thousands of people who fled the area not to return to their homes, and the government plans to evacuate some 16,000 residents from the danger zone.
A series of volcanic eruptions this week have affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages, more than half of whom were moved to temporary emergency shelters.
The head of Didimus said a large amount of volcanic material hit the building and destroyed a road linking the Flores Oriental district, where the mountain is located, to the neighboring Larantuka district. On main roads, a total of 2,384 houses and public facilities were damaged and collapsed.
Rescue workers, police and soldiers continued to explore the affected areas on Friday to ensure that all residents had been evacuated from danger areas, while providing logistics and relief supplies to nearly 6,000 displaced people at three evacuation sites.
The National Disaster Management Authority said residents of the worst-hit villages will be relocated within six months and each relocated family will receive monthly compensation of 500,000 rupees ($32).
In January, the Levotobi Laki Laki volcano began erupting, spewing thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Franciscus Saverius Seda Airport and evacuate about 6,500 people. There were no reports of casualties or major damage, but the airport remains closed due to seismic activity.
Three other airports in neighboring areas including Ende, Larantuka and Bajwa have been closed since Monday after Indonesia’s air navigation agency issued safety warnings due to volcanic ash.
Lewotobi Laki Laki, known locally as Husband and Wife Mountain, is one of two stratovolcanoes in East Flores District, East Nusa Tenggara Province. “Laki laki” means man, and his partner is Lewotobi Perempuan, which is woman.
The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano is one of 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people. The country is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of earthquake fault lines surrounding the Pacific Ocean.
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Kamini reported from Jakarta, Indonesia.
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This story was translated from English by AP editors with the help of generated artificial intelligence tools.
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**Interview on the Recent Eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia**
**Interviewer:** Good afternoon, and thank you for joining us. Today, we have with us Dr. Lena Yudianto, a volcanologist and disaster management expert, to discuss the recent volcanic eruption at Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia. Dr. Yudianto, can you summarize the current situation regarding the volcanic activity?
**Dr. Yudianto:** Good afternoon, and thank you for having me. The situation is quite alarming. The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki has caused significant devastation, resulting in the tragic loss of nine lives and injuring dozens more. The volcano has been erupting since earlier this week, spewing ash plumes that have reached heights of about 10 kilometers. This has led to the expansion of the danger zone, which now spans an 8-kilometer radius around the volcano.
**Interviewer:** What are some of the immediate impacts of this eruption on the local communities?
**Dr. Yudianto:** The eruption has severely affected over 10,000 people across various villages. Many have been displaced and are now living in temporary emergency shelters. The volcanic activity has damaged thousands of homes, schools, and important community infrastructure, including churches and monasteries. Rescue operations are ongoing, but the access to some areas has been hampered by volcanic debris.
**Interviewer:** Authorities have raised the alert level to the highest status. What does this mean for the local population?
**Dr. Yudianto:** Raising the alert level indicates that there is a high likelihood of further eruptions. It is a critical message for the local population to stay away from the danger zone. The government is actively working to evacuate around 16,000 residents from this area to ensure their safety.
**Interviewer:** Are there any long-term effects expected from this eruption?
**Dr. Yudianto:** Yes, the long-term impacts can be significant. Besides the immediate damage to homes and infrastructure, the ash fall can affect agriculture, water quality, and public health. The landscape will also change, with new craters forming and alterations to the ecosystem. Continuous monitoring of the volcano will be essential in planning recovery efforts and future safety measures.
**Interviewer:** Thank you, Dr. Yudianto, for your insights. It’s a tragic situation, and our thoughts are with those affected by this disaster.
**Dr. Yudianto:** Thank you for having me. Let’s hope for a swift recovery for the affected communities.
