Wednesday Morning Mount Lewotobi Eruption, Local Residents Asked To Beware Of Cold Lava Floods

CCTV PVMBG showing volcanic ash rising at the top of Mount Lewotobi Laki in East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, Wednesday (10/1/2024). (ANTARA)

JAKARTA - The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said that Mount Lewotobi Male in East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara Province, on Wednesday, January 10 at 07.34 WITA experienced an eruption and ejected volcanic ash as high as approximately 2,000 meters from its crater. "The ash column was observed gray to brown with thick intensity leaning towards the north and northeast," said Observation Post Officer Mount Lewotobi Boy Herman Yosef S Mboro quoted by ANTARA. According to Herman, the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Male on Wednesday morning was recorded on the seismograph having a maximum amplitude of 47 millimeters and a duration of approximately 16 minutes 40 seconds.PVMBG on January 9, 2024 at 23.00 WITA said that the volcanic activity of Mount Lewotobi Male increased and its status was raised from Level III or Alert to Level IV or Alert. Residents around Mount Lewotobi Male and visitors and tourists were not allowed to carry out any activity in the area within a radius of four kilometers from the eruption center and sectoral area as far as five kilometers to the northwest-north.

If there is an eruption and ash rain, residents are advised to stay indoors or wear masks and eye protection when leaving the house. In addition, residents around Mount Lewotobi are asked to be aware of the potential for cold lava flooding in rivers that originate at the top of the mountain in the event of high intensity rain.