Indonesia s Mount Lewotobi Laki laki spews 11km high ash cloud after eruption

JAKARTA - Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province erupted on June 17, spewing a towering ash cloud 11km high, the country’s volcanology agency said.

The agency also said it had raised the alert level of the volcano to the most dangerous, warning of potential lava flows if it heavily rains.

Lewotobi Laki-laki’s last eruption was in May when the authorities also raised the level to the most severe.

Images shared by the agency on June 17 showed an orange ash cloud in the shape of a mushroom engulfing a nearby village.

It is not immediately clear if there have been flight disruptions. When Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted in March, airlines were forced to cancel and delay flights into Bali, including Australia’s Jetstar and Qantas Airways.

Indonesia’s search and rescue agency, as well as its disaster mitigation agency, which oversees evacuation, did not immediately respond to a request for comment.

Indonesia sits on the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates. REUTERS

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