Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a highly active stratovolcano on Indonesia’s Flores Island, erupted for the second consecutive day on Saturday, August 2, hurling a colossal ash column 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and blanketing nearby villages with volcanic debris. The eruption, one of Indonesia’s largest since Mount Merapi’s deadly 2010 outburst, followed a Friday evening eruption that sent ash 10 kilometers high, accompanied by glowing lava and lightning. No casualties have been reported, but the twin eruptions, occurring within five hours, have heightened concerns in the region.

Indonesia’s Geology Agency reported that Saturday’s eruption unleashed an avalanche of searing gas clouds, rocks, and lava flowing up to 5 kilometers down the 1,584-meter volcano’s slopes. Drone surveillance revealed deep magma movement, triggering tremors detected by seismic monitors. Volcanic material, including thumb-sized gravel, was hurled up to 8 kilometers from the crater, coating villages like Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku in thick ash and debris. Authorities warned residents to stay vigilant for potential lahars—dangerous volcanic mudflows triggered by heavy rainfall in rivers originating from the volcano.

The volcano has been at Indonesia’s highest alert level (Level IV) since its June 18, 2025, eruption, with the exclusion zone expanded to a 7-kilometer radius due to increasingly frequent activity. This follows a deadly November 2024 eruption that killed nine people, injured dozens, and destroyed thousands of homes, prompting the permanent relocation of over 16,000 residents. The latest eruptions, less than a month after a July 7 event that disrupted 24 flights to and from Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport, have again raised fears of aviation chaos, though no immediate flight cancellations were reported Saturday.

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Lewotobi Laki Laki, meaning “male” in Indonesian, forms a twin volcanic complex with the quieter Lewotobi Perempuan (“female”), located less than 2 kilometers apart on Flores. Part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” Indonesia’s 120 active volcanoes make it one of the world’s most seismically active regions. The July 7 eruption, which produced an 18-kilometer ash plume and pyroclastic flows, was likened to Saturday’s event for its intensity, with social media posts on X describing “thunderous roars” and ash-covered roads resembling a “gray apocalypse.”

Local leaders, like Paulus Sony Sang Tukan of Pululera village, 8 kilometers from the crater, called for urgent aid, noting concerns over contaminated water supplies due to ashfall. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has deployed emergency teams, and evacuations continue, with some residents fleeing to Konga and Nileknoheng villages, 12 kilometers away. Critics argue that Indonesia’s relocation efforts post-November have been slow, leaving vulnerable communities exposed. A 2024 BNPB report noted that only 60% of affected residents were rehoused by June 2025, citing logistical challenges.

While no deaths have been reported, the economic toll is significant, with rice fields and infrastructure damaged. The government’s push for permanent relocations aims to mitigate future risks, but some residents resist, citing cultural ties to the land. As Lewotobi Laki Laki remains active, with seismic data indicating ongoing magma buildup, authorities are bracing for potential further eruptions, urging strict adherence to evacuation protocols to prevent a repeat of last year’s tragedy.

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