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Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on Thursday, November 7, with an even larger blast than the one earlier in the week that left nine people dead and dozens injured. The eruption, which took place on Flores Island, sent massive columns of volcanic ash into the sky, rising as high as 8,000 meters (26,240 feet) and sparking new evacuations.
According to Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) volcano erupted 11 times throughout the day. Images from the scene show residents, including schoolchildren, fleeing as thick clouds of ash filled the air—a haunting reminder of Monday’s deadly eruption that affected over 10,000 people across 10 villages.
Anastasia Adriyani, a resident of Lewolaga village outside the exclusion zone, described her fear, saying, "This is the first time I saw such a big eruption since I’ve lived here. I was cooking at the community kitchen for evacuees when it happened, and I ran back home, terrified."
Monday’s eruption resulted in significant destruction, leveling seven schools, several homes, and a convent in this largely Catholic region. Over 4,400 people have taken refuge in temporary shelters as volcanic materials, including molten rocks and ash, were thrown up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from the crater.
Upon inspecting the affected areas, officials found craters from fallen volcanic rocks—some reaching up to 13 meters (43 feet) wide and 5 meters (16 feet) deep, indicating the intensity of the eruptions. Wijaya noted the difference in the eruption’s behavior compared to January, where volcanic materials primarily settled around the peak.
Authorities are assessing Lewotobi’s changing eruption patterns to identify a safe relocation site for residents. Meanwhile, the local government has been urged to close the main road connecting Maumere, the island’s largest city, to Larantuka district, as it runs through the high-risk zone around the volcano.
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