Volcanic Eruption in Eastern Indonesia
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, has erupted several times in recent weeks, evacuating more than 2,200 residents to temporary shelters. More than 80 kilometers away, Frans Sida Airport has also been affected by the eruptions. The airport has also been forced to close due to the ash eruption.
According to Indonesia's Volcanic and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG), the Mount Levotoobi volcano in East Nusa Tenggara province has been spewing columns of ash as high as 1,500 meters in the past few days. East Flores officials told AFP today that more than 2,200 residents had been evacuated to temporary shelters set up by the local government after the recent ash eruption affected two nearby towns, adding that "relocation of the public to safety is necessary due to the expected hazards of the elevated volcano's status. The Indonesian government has raised the status of Mount Levutopi to the second highest of Indonesia's four levels of alert, and has extended the exclusion zone from two kilometers to four kilometers from the crater.
Indonesia has more than 120 active volcanoes that have been showing signs of activity since the beginning of last year, and Indonesia itself is located in the Pacific Rim Volcanic Belt, where earthquakes and volcanism are quite active.
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