Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in Indonesia erupted again on Wednesday, releasing massive plumes of ash and smoke that forced evacuations and led to widespread flight cancelations, including those to and from the tourist hub of Bali.
The volcano erupted multiple times from Tuesday evening through Wednesday afternoon, with ash columns reaching up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet). One of Tuesday's eruptions sent ash as high as 10,000 meters (32,800 feet), forming a mushroom-shaped cloud that was visible from nearly 150 kilometers (93 miles) away.
Authorities raised the alert level to the highest on Tuesday and extended the exclusion zone to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Personnel were evacuated from the nearby monitoring station located 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the volcano due to falling debris. No casualties have been reported so far.
Ashfall was reported beyond the designated danger zone, affecting villages including Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Residents from Nurabelen village in the Ile Bura subdistrict were relocated to safer areas such as Konga and Nileknoheng, which lies about 12 kilometers (7.4 miles) from the volcano, according to the National Disaster Management Agency.
The eruption disrupted air travel, with dozens of flights canceled on Wednesday. Bali's I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport suspended services to several destinations in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China due to volcanic ash hazards. Flights were also grounded at Labuan Bajo’s airport on Flores Island, though it remains operational.
Jetstar, an Australian airline, canceled flights but said services may resume once the ash cloud clears. Air New Zealand also canceled a round-trip to Auckland, and flights to New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong (China) were disrupted, according to Bali’s Denpasar airport.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, standing at 1,584 meters (5,197 feet), is part of a twin volcano system with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in Flores Timur district. The volcano has experienced multiple eruptions in recent months, with varying alert levels. A previous eruption in November claimed nine lives and injured many others.
Indonesia, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is prone to seismic activity and hosts around 120 active volcanoes across its archipelago of 270 million people.