Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki's Fiery Spectacle: Rising Threat in Indonesia

In a dramatic escalation of volcanic activity, Indonesia's volcanology agency has raised the alert level for Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki to its peak, following a series of eruptions over the weekend. The volcano, positioned on Flores island, unleashed volcanic ash reaching heights between 3 km and 5.5 km on Sunday, as detailed by Muhammad Wafid, the agency's chief.

Wafid stated that their analysis indicated sustained high activity levels, prompting the elevation in alert status beginning Sunday at 08:00 p.m. (1200 GMT). Shared images vividly depict thick grey ash clouds emanating from the crater, while rumbling noises of varying intensity have been reported from nearby monitoring stations.

The volcano resumed its activity on Monday, releasing ash clouds that ascended to 1.2 km. The agency has instructed evacuation within a six-kilometre radius of the crater and cautioned about potential cold lava flows following heavy rainfall. However, no evacuations or flight disruptions have been reported thus far, contrasting with March's eruptions, which affected airline operations including Jetstar and Qantas Airways.

(With inputs from agencies.)