What you need to know about the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki eruptions that killed nine people in Indonesia

JAKARTA, Indonesia – A series of volcanic eruptions from Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki on the remote Indonesian island of Flores killed nine people and injured dozens of others. Buildings collapsed and terrified residents ran for their lives in the darkness.

Monday’s eruptions affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages. About 4,400 villagers moved into makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption, which destroyed seven schools, nearly 20 homes and a monastery on the predominantly Catholic island.

Authorities on Wednesday provided tons of logistics and relief supplies to displaced people and warned the thousands of people who fled not to return home, as rescuers, police and soldiers continued to scour destroyed villages for survivors, despite no missing persons reported.

Here’s a closer look at the eruption and its aftermath.

How many active volcanoes are there in Indonesia?

The 1,584 meter high mountain Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the 120 active volcanoes in the country. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it lies along the ‘Ring of Fire’, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Ocean.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Management has recorded 4,796 volcanic eruptions in the vast archipelago since January. Mount Ibu in North Maluku province has erupted 1,930 times, Mount Semeru in East Java province 1,634 times and Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki 872 times.

About 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, belching thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Frans Seda airport. No casualties or major damage were reported, but the airport has since been closed due to seismic activity.

Why was the last volcanic eruption so powerful?

Since January, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki had erupted up to six times almost every day, but its activity dropped dramatically in early November, said Muhammad Wafid, head of the geological agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Analysis showed that there was a blockage of magma in the crater, which reduced observable seismic activity and increased pressure, Wafid said.

“The eruptions that occurred since Friday were due to the accumulation of hidden energy,” Wafid said, adding that the agency has recommended raising the volcano’s alert status to the highest level.

“Currently there is no technology that can determine when a volcanic eruption will occur and how large the eruption will be,” he said. will be.”

How often do deadly eruptions occur in Indonesia?

Many eruptions in Indonesia are small and cause little to no damage, but some can be fatal.

Mount Marapi erupted in December 2023, killing 24 climbers and injuring others caught in the sudden eruption over the weekend. Two climbing routes in the mountain have since been closed. Five months later, monsoon rains caused a landslide of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, causing rivers to overflow their banks. The flood swept through mountain villages, sweeping away people and dozens of homes, killing 67 people.

A December 2021 eruption of Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on the densely populated Java island, killed 48 people and left 36 missing in villages covered in layers of mud. Mount Merapi also erupted in 2010, killing 347 people and displacing 20,000 villagers.

The monumental eruption of the Krakatoa volcano in 1883 caused a period of global cooling.