The Levotobi Laki-Laki volcano in Indonesia erupted this morning, spewing volcanic ash 10 km high, the Indonesian Volcanology Agency reported, quoted by Reuters. The eruption prompted authorities to raise the alert level to the highest level.
The volcano, located on the island of Flores in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted at 01:35 local time (18:35 GMT Tuesday) for about nine minutes, the Indonesian Geological Agency said in a statement.
Levotobi Laki-Laki had also erupted two hours earlier, with volcanic ash from the first eruption rising 9 kilometres into the air.
The volcano last erupted in August this year. There was also an eruption in July, which led to the disruption of flights to and from the nearby resort island of Bali.
Dozens of locals from the villages closest to the volcano were evacuated after the eruptions, said Avelina Mangota Halan, an official at the local disaster management agency.
Most of the residents left their villages after the major eruption of the Levotobi Laki-laki volcano, which killed 10 people and damaged thousands of houses in November 2024, Halan added.
The government has closed the "Franciscus Xaverius Seda" airport, located in the town of Maumere in East Nusa Tenggara province, until tomorrow, the airport operator said on social media.
Indonesia, which has more than 120 active volcanoes, is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire ring, a region of high seismic activity located on several tectonic plates.