Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia, erupted on Saturday morning for the second consecutive day, spewing a column of volcanic materials up to 18 kilometers high into the atmosphere. Nearby villages were covered in ash. So far, no casualties have been reported, according to IPN, citing Associated Press.
A previous eruption, which occurred Friday evening, generated ash clouds that reached up to 10 kilometers in altitude and lit up the night sky with incandescent lava. The two eruptions took place within less than five hours of each other.
The Geological Agency of Indonesia has recorded a pyroclastic cloud avalanche – a mixture of hot gases, rocks, and lava – that descended up to 5 kilometers down the mountain slopes. Authorities have warned that torrential rains could trigger lava flows through the rivers that originate from the volcano area.
According to the Associated Press, Saturday’s eruption is one of the most powerful in Indonesia since 2010, when the Merapi volcano, the most dangerous in the country, erupted on the island of Java, causing the death of over 350 people and forcing the evacuation of hundreds of thousands of residents.
