JAKARTA: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, located in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Friday afternoon, prompting a flight warning, according to the country’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, reported Xinhua.
The eruption occurred at 2.10 pm local time, sending a column of ash up to 4 kilometres (km) into the sky. Thick gray clouds drifted westward and northwestward from the crater.
To mitigate aviation risks, authorities issued a Volcano Observatory Notice for Aviation (VONA) at the orange level, the second-highest alert, advising aircraft to avoid flying below 5,000 metres in the vicinity of the volcano. Pilots are also urged to be cautious of airborne volcanic ash, which poses a serious hazard to flight safety.
Local residents, tourists, and visitors are prohibited from conducting any activities within a 6-km radius of the crater, and within a 7-km radius in the southwest and northeast sectors.
Authorities also warned of the potential for lava floods along rivers that originate at the volcano’s summit during rainfall. – Bernama, Xinhua