A volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia late Thursday sent a towering plume of ash nearly eight kilometers (five miles) into the sky, prompting authorities to raise the alert level to its highest tier.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-meter twin-peaked volcano located on the tourist island of Flores, erupted for approximately 11 minutes at 10:56 PM local time (1456 GMT). The volcanic ash was reported to be dark gray to black in color, with high intensity.
Although no immediate damage to nearby villages has been reported, Indonesia's volcanology agency warned of the risk of volcanic mudflows, especially with the potential for heavy rainfall in the area. As a precaution, an exclusion zone has been established within a seven- to eight-kilometer radius of the volcano.
In November, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted multiple times, resulting in nine fatalities, the cancellation of numerous international flights to Bali, and the evacuation of thousands of residents.
The volcano, whose name means "man" in Indonesian, is paired with the quieter Lewotobi Perempuan ("woman" in Indonesian), located nearby.
Indonesia is situated along the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a region known for its frequent seismic and volcanic activity.
