Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano: chaos in the sky over Bali!

Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano: chaos in the sky over Bali!

A massive volcanic eruption of Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the Indonesian island of Flores has catastrophic consequences. The eruption, which has been recorded since the end of last year, led to noticeable changes in air quality and required extensive evacuations. At least nine people have reportedly died in this eruption, with their homes buried under rubble and thousands having to be moved to evacuation centers. The rising ash has severely disrupted international air traffic, leading to the cancellation of dozens of flights, including from Australian low-cost airline Jetstar, which is not flying to Bali's Ngurah Rai airport for safety reasons vienna.at reported.

The volcano, located about 500 kilometers from Bali, has carried out several massive eruptions over the past few days, with ash columns at times reaching almost ten kilometers into the sky. This led to the alert level at the Volcanology Authority being raised to level 4 out of 5. Authorities are urging the public to wear masks and stay away from within an eight-kilometer radius of the crater. The situation is so serious that several airlines such as Virgin Australia have had to suspend their flights and a Qantas plane had to turn around mid-flight ZDF learned.

The effects of the outbreak are also evident in the region: numerous buildings, including schools and religious institutions, have already been damaged. Previous eruptions had similar consequences, with large amounts of ash repeatedly covering agricultural areas and towns under a dense layer. The devastating volcanic eruptions on Flores once again highlight the geological activity of the Pacific Ring of Fire in which Indonesia lies and the associated risks for the people living there and for air traffic.