Mount Ile Lewotolok Erupts, Spews Ash 600 Metres High

Mount Ili Lewotolok in Lembata Regency, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted on Monday at 10:17 a.m. local time, with an observed ash column reaching approximately 600 metres above the summit. The thick, grey ash column was observed drifting westward, according to Yeremias Kristianto Pugel, an officer at the Ile Lewotolok Volcano Observation Post. He explained that the ash column was recorded at around 2,023 metres above sea level. The eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 40 millimetres and a duration of approximately one minute and 16 seconds. The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has urged residents, visitors, hikers, and tourists not to enter or conduct activities within a two-kilometre radius of the volcano’s centre. The public has also been asked to remain vigilant for potential hazards from lava avalanches or landslides and pyroclastic flows on the southern, southeastern, western, and northeastern sectors of the mountain. PVMBG further reminded residents living near Mount Ile Lewotolok to wear protective masks covering the mouth and nose to reduce the health impacts of volcanic ash exposure. The community is also advised to use eye and skin protection and to cover clean water storage containers to prevent contamination from volcanic ash. Local authorities and the public are expected to continue coordinating with the Ile Lewotolok Observation Post in Laranwutun Village, Ile Ape District, or with PVMBG to obtain the latest information on the volcano’s activity. PVMBG stated that updates on Mount Ile Lewotolok’s activity and technical recommendations can be monitored through the Magma Indonesia application and website, as well as official Geological Agency information channels.