Indonesian volcano spews ash column 8km high, many flights canceled

Indonesia's Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted violently on the evening of March 20 with an ash column more than 8km high, forcing authorities to issue the highest warning - Photo: GEORITMUS

According to Reuters, on the evening of March 20 (local time), the Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, had a strong eruption, spewing ash columns more than 8km high into the sky. Authorities immediately raised the alert level to the highest level to respond to the risk of disaster.

This is the volcano's strongest eruption since March 13, following dozens of smaller eruptions before.

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency said one person was injured during the evacuation, but there were no details on the scale and method of evacuation, or the number of residents affected by the eruption.

Indonesia's geological agency warned that the volcano will continue to erupt on the morning of March 21, and there is a risk of lava flows.

Due to the impact of volcanic ash, Jetstar, a subsidiary of Qantas Airways, canceled flights between Australia and Bali on the morning of March 21. The airline said flights could resume in the afternoon if conditions allowed.

At Bali airport, although still operating normally, up to 7 international flights were canceled and some domestic flights were delayed.

Indonesia is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes and sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area of ​​intense seismic activity caused by shifting tectonic plates. Eruptions like Lewotobi Laki-laki are not uncommon, but they still pose a threat to the millions of people who live near volcanic areas.

In November last year, the Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupted violently, sending lava and hot rocks into the surrounding areas, forcing thousands to evacuate and killing at least nine people.

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