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JAKARTA: Thousands have fled the scene of a rumbling Indonesian volcano that erupted to life for the first time in several years, spewing a huge plume of smoke and ash, the disaster agency said on Monday (November 30).
The evacuation of more than 4,400 residents came when Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted on Sunday, throwing a thick tower of debris 4 km into the sky, prompting a flight warning and the closure of a local airport.
The last major eruption of the crater was in 2017.
There were no reports of injuries or damage from the eruption in a remote part of the Southeast Asian archipelago.
But authorities advised residents to wear masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash gushing from the crater in eastern Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia’s southernmost province, and to be vigilant for possible lava flows.
Thousands have been evacuated after the eruption of Mount Ili Lewotolok in Indonesia. (Photo: AFP / Joy Christian)
“To minimize the health impact of volcanic ash, it is recommended that people wear a mask or other equipment to protect their eyes and skin,” said spokesman for the National Agency for Disaster Mitigation Raditya Jati.
A 2 km no-go zone around the crater was also expanded to 4 km after Sunday’s eruption, while flights were advised to stay clear of the area as volcanic ash rained down on the local Wunopitu airport, which was temporarily closed. .
Indonesia is home to some 130 active volcanoes due to its position in the “Ring of Fire”, a belt of tectonic plate boundaries that surround the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs.
In late 2018, a volcano erupted in the strait between the Java Islands and Sumatra, causing an underwater landslide that triggered a tsunami that killed more than 400 people.
