Southeast Asia Information Port (www.dnyxxg.com) – Mount Lewatobi in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, experienced two violent eruptions on the evening of August 1st and the early morning of August 2nd. The ash column reached a maximum height of 18,000 meters, with each eruption lasting over 14 minutes.
According to the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Lewatobi erupted for the first time at 8:48 PM local time on August 1st, with an ash column reaching 10,000 meters and lasting approximately 220 seconds. Just hours later, at 1:05 AM on August 2nd, the volcano erupted again violently, with an ash column reaching 18,000 meters and lasting approximately 14 minutes and 5 seconds. The rumbling sound could be heard within a radius of several kilometers around the crater after both eruptions.
Mount Lewatobi is located on Flores Island, a popular tourist destination in Indonesia, and has a twin-volcanic structure. Since mid-June of this year, the volcano's alert level has remained at the highest level, Level 4. Its last major eruption was on July 7th, when an ash column also shot tens of thousands of meters into the air.
Local geological official Muhammad Wafid stated that this eruption was caused by the sudden release of gases that had accumulated over the past few weeks. Currently, the local government has issued a notice prohibiting residents and tourists from entering the area within 7 kilometers of the crater and warning of potential ash and debris flows.
The eruption has already impacted air travel. On August 2nd, some flights at Komodo International Airport were canceled or delayed. The Chinese Consulate General in Denpasar issued a notice reminding Chinese citizens in its consular district to closely monitor warnings issued by Indonesian authorities and not to enter the volcanic warning area. Due to the high concentration of ash in this eruption, flights at airports in Bali, West Nusa Tenggara, and East Nusa Tenggara provinces may be temporarily canceled or delayed.
Indonesia is located in the Ring of Fire and is one of the countries with the most frequent earthquakes and volcanic activity globally, with over 120 active volcanoes. (End)
