Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts, prompting alert level to be raised

The Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted three times into Friday, sending an ash column 8,000 meters (26,200 feet) high and prompting authorities to expand the danger zone around the volcano. Information on evacuations was not immediately available. The volcano on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has had hundreds of earthquakes and visible volcanic activity has significantly increased in the last seven days. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the danger zone from 7 kilometers to 8 kilometers from the crater. Several airlines canceled flights between Australia and Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali due to the eruption, while other international and domestic flights to the island have been delayed. The 1,584-meter (5,197 foot) mountain is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the Flores Timur district.<br/>