Alert Level for Mount Lewotobi Stays Elevated After Expelling 18 Kilometers of Ash

TEMPO.CO, Bandung - There is still a supply of magma in the body of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, indicating the potential for another explosive eruption. The volcano, located in Flores, East Nusa Tenggara, Indonesia, erupted on Tuesday afternoon, spewing a column of ash about 1,200 meters above the mountaintop.

On Monday morning, the eruption accompanied by a thick ash column was observed soaring to approximately 18,000 meters above the peak or about 19,584 meters above sea level. In the evening, another explosive eruption occurred with the eruption column reaching 13,000 meters above the peak.

"With the ongoing supply of magma and the flow of gas/magma to the surface, the accumulation of pressure could occur again and trigger an explosive eruption, lava flow, or pyroclastic flow," said Head of the Geological Agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), Muhammad Wafid, on Tuesday, July 8, 2025.

The Geological Agency recorded seismic data of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki six times on July 7-8, 2025. Based on visual data on July 7-8, 2025, the eruption of Mount Lewotobi demonstrated explosivity with very strong gas pressure.

Wafid explained that the booming sound indicates a sudden release of high-pressure gas. The presence of pyroclastic flows indicates the collapse of the eruption column, which produces very dangerous pyroclastic flows.

"The type of earthquake recorded after the eruption shows the ongoing release of volcanic gas (degassing) at the summit area and the supply of magma that has not completely stopped," said Wafid.

Wafid stated that tiltmeter deformation data also indicates slow inflation in the past week, indicating the ongoing accumulation of pressure due to the ongoing magma supply. Meanwhile, GPS data shows changes in vectors and tends to still indicate deflation, showing a decrease in pressure from within the volcano's body, but the accumulation of pressure at shallow depths remains high.

"Based on the visual and instrumental analysis, the activity of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is still high, so the level of activity of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki is still categorized as Level IV (Awas)," said Wafid.

With the Level IV or Awas status, the Geological Agency requests the evacuation of activities within a radius of 6 kilometers and sectoral 7 kilometers in the Southwestern-Northeastern direction from the eruption center. Residents living in disaster-prone areas are advised to be wary of the potential for lahars if heavy rains occur.

"Especially in areas along river channels originating from the peak of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki such as Dulipali, Nobo, Hokeng Jaya, and Nurabelen," he added, also advising the use of masks or mouth and nose covers to protect the respiratory system.

Editor's Choice: Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki's Activity Shows Continuous Eruptions; Now at Alert Status

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