Geological Agency: Ile Lewotolok Lava Flow Distance Reaches 1.2 Km

Visual lava flow from Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata, NTT, Sunday (12/5/2024) night. ANTARA/HO-Badan Geological

The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources noted that the lava flow distance in the western sector of Mount Ile Lewotolok in Lembata, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) reached 1.2 km from the crater lip.

"The lava flow that is currently flowing into the western sector has reached a distance of 1.2 km from the crater's lip," said Head of the Ile Lewotolok Volcano Observation Post Jeffry Pugel as reported by ANTARA, Monday, May 13.

The Ile Lewotolok Volcano Observation Post recorded the direction of the new lava flow in addition to the south and southeast, namely the western sector.

The lava flow distance was observed to have reached 1.2 km from the previous 400 meters on Saturday (11/5).

Now the last flow distance to the nearest village is Amakaka Village, approximately 2.8 km.

"Hopefully there will be a slowdown in the speed of lava flow when it passes through a more sloping morphology," he said.

Currently, the Geological Agency still maintains the status of the mountain activity level at Level III or Alert.

The recommendations issued are still the same, so that people around Mount Ile Lewotolok and visitors, climbers, tourists do not enter and do not carry out activities within a 2 km radius of the mountain activity center.

The people of Lamatokan Village and Jontona Village are advised to always be aware of the potential threat of danger from avalanches, lava avalanches, and hot clouds from the eastern part of the peak or crater of Mount Ile Lewotolok.

Meanwhile, the people of Jontona Village and Todanara Village are advised not to enter and not to carry out activities within the southern and southeast sectoral areas as far as 3 km of the activity center of Mount Ile Lewotolok.

"The public should remain calm but always be vigilant. We always monitor the latest developments in the field and then an evaluation will be carried out," said Jeffry.