Alert, Mount Ili Lewotolok Erupts Throwing Abu 700 Meters High

The ejection of ash as high as approximately 700 meters came out of the crater of Mount Ili Lewotolok which is located in the northern part of Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara, Saturday (6/5/2023). (Doc. ANTARA)

JAKARTA - Mount Ili Lewotolok, located in the northern part of Lembata Island, East Nusa Tenggara, experienced an eruption at 09.48 WITA, Saturday, May 6.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reported an eruption of a volcano with a column of ash as high as approximately 700 meters.

"The ash column was observed to be white, gray to black with thick intensity to the southwest and west," said Ili Lewotolok Volcano Observation Post Officer, Yeremias Kristianto Pugel, in a statement received in Jakarta.

Yeremias explained that the eruption was recorded through a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 23.4 millimeters and a duration of 65 seconds.

PVMBG recommends that people around Mount Ili Lewotolok not enter and do not carry out activities within a radius of two kilometers from the center of volcanic activity.

The people of Lamawolo Village, Lamatokan Village, and Jontona Village should always be aware of the potential threat of danger from avalanches or lava avalanches and hot clouds from the eastern part of the crater of Mount Ili Lewotolok, quoted by ANTARA, Saturday, May 5.

In addition, people around the volcano use mouth and nose protection masks and other equipment to avoid respiratory problems or other health problems caused by volcanic ash.

PVMBG also recommends that people living around valleys or rivers that originate at the top of Mount Ili Lewotolok to always be aware of potential threats of lava that can occur, especially during the rainy season.

In an effort to mitigate the volcanic disaster, PVMBG carried out visual monitoring carried out every day from the observation post against the condition of crater smoke gusts and other volcanic symptoms.

Gempatan monitoring was also carried out by installing a seismic station consisting of a vertical one-component seismometer L4-C and VCO operated with a radio wave telemetry system and recorded using a PS-2 recording device at the Ili Lewotolok Volcano Observation Post.

The seismometer is approximately one kilometer southwest of the crater at an altitude of 716 meters above sea level.