Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Volcano Eruption in Indonesia

On the remote island of Flores, Indonesia, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on 03 November at 22:57 UTC+7.

The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano unleashed a thick coloum of ash into the sky. A second larger eruption was reported on 07 November. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 47.3 mm and a duration of 1,450 seconds. Volcanic materials, including smoldering rocks, lava and hot, thumb-size gravel and ash were thrown up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from its crater on 04 November.

The first eruption affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages, 10 deaths have been reported so far. Emergency response operations are still ongoing following the eruption of Lewotobi Laki-laki. Search and rescue efforts are ongoing to ensure all victims are evacuated from the affected locations.

The government has declared an Emergency Response Status starting from 03 November until 31 December 2024. There are concerns that high intensity rain may cause lahars (volcanic sediment washed down the mountain by the flood) in rivers that originate at the peak of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, especially in the Dulipali, Padang Pasir and Nobo areas.

About 4,400 villagers moved into makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption, which destroyed seven schools, nearly two dozen houses and a convent on the majority-Catholic island.

Related Resources:

Sentinel Asia activation for Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki Volcano Eruption in Indonesia