Volcanic eruption in Indonesia: impressive column of ash and fear of debris flows

The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted again on Saturday and threw a thick column of ash nine kilometers high, raising fears of debris flows due to heavy rainfall.

The volcano, 1,703 meters high and located on the tourist island of Flores, erupted more than ten times this week, killing nine people during the night from Monday to Tuesday.

“The ash column was observed approximately 9,000 meters above the summit”indicated the local volcanology agency in a press release.

This new eruption, which began at 4:47 a.m. local time (8:47 p.m. GMT Friday), did not cause any damage in the surrounding area, according to the first available information.

But the volcanology agency asked residents of the area to “stay vigilant” regarding possible “cold lava floods”a mixture of volcanic materials containing ash, sand and rocks washed down by rain, due to significant precipitation.

During the night from Monday to Tuesday, the volcano spewed flaming rocks onto inhabited areas, which set wooden houses on fire. Nine people were killed and several dozen others injured.

The columns of ash observed since have been described by locals as among the tallest ever spewed by the Laki-Laki, which means « homme » in Indonesian, and is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word meaning « femme ».

More than 10,000 people were affected by the eruptions, with authorities asking people to stay away from an area with a radius of eight kilometers. They also promised to provide temporary accommodation and financial assistance to affected residents while awaiting the reconstruction of destroyed housing.

The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.