A new eruption. The highest state of alert has been declared for the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located on the island of Flores, in eastern Indonesia. After weeks of increased activity at the volcano and a first evacuation order in early January, volcanic ash was projected two kilometers above its summit on Wednesday, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation (PVMBG ).
“Communities are urged to immediately evacuate to safe locations to avoid the hot ash (from the volcano),” local official Benediktus Bolibapa Herin told AFP on Wednesday. Local authorities have opened two temporary shelters, which currently accommodate around 5,000 people, after 2,000 people had been evacuated on January 2.
Masks to protect yourself
The alert level was raised to 4, the highest threshold, and a security perimeter of 5 km around the crater was established, said the PVMBG. Residents called to wear masks to protect themselves “from dangers to the respiratory system” must also be on alert for possible flooding as volcanic mudslides flow into rivers, said PVMBG director Hendra Gunawan , in a press release.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes significant volcanic and seismic activity. The country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
The alert level was also raised to level 3 on Tuesday for Mount Marapi located on the large island of Sumatra in western Indonesia where last month, 23 hikers were killed following an eruption of this volcano. An exclusion perimeter of 4.5 km around the crater of the volcano has been established.