Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, a volatile twin-peaked volcano on Flores Island, erupted twice on Monday, unleashing towering ash clouds up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and dumping debris on nearby villages. The eruptions, among the largest since November 2024, prompted widespread flight cancellations and heightened safety concerns, though no immediate casualties were reported.

The first eruption struck at 11:00 am local time (0305 GMT), followed by a second at 7:30 pm (1100 GMT), spewing ash 13 kilometers high, according to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano, part of the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” released an avalanche of searing gas, rocks, and lava flowing up to 5 kilometers down its slopes. Drone footage revealed lava filling the crater, signaling deep magma movement that triggered volcanic earthquakes.

“This eruption’s scale is significant, surpassing the November 2024 event that killed nine and injured dozens,” said Muhammad Wafid, chief of Indonesia’s Geology Agency. “Its impact on aviation and nearby communities necessitates reevaluating the danger zone.” The volcano’s alert level, already at the highest since a June 18 eruption, prompted authorities to maintain a 7-kilometer exclusion zone, with potential plans to expand it further.

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The eruptions disrupted air travel, with at least 24 international flights between Bali and destinations like Australia, Singapore, and South Korea canceled, alongside four domestic routes, including Bali to Labuan Bajo. Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, spokesperson for Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport, noted that the airport operated normally, as ash had not yet reached Bali’s airspace by Monday afternoon. “Safety is paramount, and our meteorologists are closely monitoring ash cloud movements,” a Virgin Australia spokesperson told ABC News.

Ash and thumb-sized gravel rained down on villages like Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku, blocking sunlight for nearly 30 minutes and covering homes in debris. Social media footage captured a mushroom-shaped ash cloud visible up to 150 kilometers away, with panicked residents fleeing on motorbikes and cars. Hadi Wijaya, head of the volcanology center, warned of potential lava flows triggered by heavy rainfall in rivers originating from the volcano.

The eruptions resulted from a magma blockage in the crater, which reduced seismic signals while building pressure, Wijaya explained. This follows a pattern of increasing activity, with 427 eruptions recorded this year alone. The volcano, twinned with the calmer Mount Lewotobi Perempuan, has a history of deadly outbursts, including a November 2024 eruption that killed nine and displaced thousands.

Indonesia, an archipelago of over 280 million, sits on the seismically active “Ring of Fire” with 120 active volcanoes. Monday’s events rank among the country’s most significant since the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption, which claimed 353 lives and displaced over 350,000 people. Authorities urge residents and tourists to avoid the expanded danger zone and remain vigilant for further volcanic activity.

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