Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki Eruption: Indonesia Evacuates Villages, Cancels Flights, and Affects Tourists

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a volcano located in Indonesia's Flores Timur district, erupted again on Wednesday, sending giant ash and smoke plumes into the sky. The eruption forced the evacuation of nearby villages and led to the cancellation of numerous flights, including those connecting the resort island of Bali to cities in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China. The eruption alert was raised to the highest level on Tuesday, and the danger zone where people are recommended to leave was expanded to 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) from the crater. Several eruptions sent ash up to 5,000 meters (16,400 feet) into the sky on Tuesday evening to Wednesday afternoon. An eruption on Tuesday afternoon sent thick, gray clouds 10,000 meters (about 32,800 feet) into the sky that expanded into a mushroom-shaped ash cloud visible as much as 150 kilometers (nearly 93 miles) away. Officers also evacuated from the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring post 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the crater to avoid falling gravel released in the eruption. No casualties have been reported, but ash and debris fell in a number of places outside the danger zone, including the villages of Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku. Some residents from Nurabelen village in Ile Bura subdistrict fled to evacuation sites in Konga to avoid the impact of the eruption. Dozens of flights were canceled on Wednesday, including those connecting Bali to several cities in Australia, Malaysia, India, and China. Volcanic ash can pose a risk to plane engines, which is why many flights were affected. The cancelations and delays affected thousands of travelers. Australian carrier Jetstar, which flies daily between the tourist hotspot and several Australian cities, said the ash cloud was forecast to clear by late Wednesday and its services would be rescheduled. Air New Zealand canceled one return trip to Auckland and would rebook customers on the next available service. Flights to New Delhi, Singapore, and Pudong, China, were also canceled due to the volcano. The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the district of Flores Timur. The volcano has had several eruptions before being raised again to the highest level on Tuesday. An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens. It also erupted in March. Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the "Ring of Fire," a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. The country is no stranger to natural disasters and is always on high alert for potential volcanic eruptions.