PVMBG Reports Eruption Of Mount Ile Lewotolok Lembata NTT Is Still Ongoing And Tends To Increase

Erupsi Gunung Ile Lewotolok Di Kabupaten Lembata. ANTARA/Ho-PVMBG

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) reports that until now the eruption or explosive eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata Regency, NTT is still ongoing. It even shows increased activity. "The increase in eruptions fluctuately, it's just that the eruption column tends to increase," said Mount Ile Lewotolok Monitoring Officer Stanislaus Arakian when contacted from Kupang, quoted from Antara, Sunday, February 25. He said this was related to the development of the eruption of Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata Regency, which once erupted with a column height of ash reaching 4,000 meters at the top of the mountain in 2020. In the past week, there have been two eruptions with a column height of ash reaching 1,000 meters. The eruption occurred on Sunday at 05.30 WITA. “ Previously, it was dominant below 1,000 meters,” he said. Another Mount Ile Lewotolok Monitoring Post officer, Yeremias Kristianto Pugel, added that until February 23, 2024, the lava flow had only reached a distance of one km to the southeast and 600 meters to the south. “Maybe we just need to anticipate things we don't want. Stay in (under control) and end quickly, "” he said. He also said that based on observations, the dominant lava avalanche range (pijar) is still around the crater area and can reach a distance of about 500 meters out of the crater. The potential threat of incandescent lava/materials must be watched out for, which is currently expected to remain within a two-kilometer radius of the activity center of Mount Ile Lewotolok. Based on the latest data on mountain instrumental monitoring, he said, volcanic activity is still quite high, so recommendation distance changes must be made at the level of activity at Level II (Alert). Some of these recommendations include people around Mount Ile Lewotolok as well as visitors, climbers, or tourists, so as not to enter and not to carry out activities within a two-kilometer radius of the Mount Lewotolok activity center.

In addition, the people of Lamawolo Village, Lamatokan Village, and Jontona Village should always be aware of the potential threat of avalanches/longsoran of lava and hot clouds from the eastern part of the mountain peak/area.