Volcano explodes in one of Indonesia’s largest eruptions since 2010
Searing gas clouds and hot rocks travelled up to 5km down Lewotobi Laki Laki’s slopes, with gravel raining down on communities 8km away
Another eruption Friday evening had sent clouds of ash up to 10km (6.2 miles) high and had lit up the night sky with glowing lava and bolts of lightning. The two eruptions happened in a span of less than five hours.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava travelling up to 5km (3 miles) down the slopes of the mountain. Drone observations showed deep movement of magma, setting off tremors that registered on seismic monitors.
Volcanic material, including hot thumb-sized gravel, was thrown up to 8km (5 miles) from the crater, covering nearby villages and towns with thick volcanic residue, the agency said. It asked residents to be vigilant about heavy rainfall that could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano.
Saturday’s eruption was one of Indonesia’s largest since 2010, when Mount Merapi, the country’s most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. That eruption killed more than 350 people and forced hundreds of thousands to evacuate.
It also came less than a month after a major eruption on July 7 forced the delay or cancellation of dozens of flights at Bali’s Ngurah Rai airport, and covered roads and rice fields with thick, grey mud and rocks.