August 2, 2025: The Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in south-central Indonesia has erupted for a second consecutive day, spewing massive plumes of volcanic materials and hot ash up to 18 km (nearly 11 miles) into the sky on Saturday. This powerful eruption is being compared to some of the country’s most significant in recent years
The eruption on Saturday was one of Indonesia’s most powerful since the 2010 Mount Merapi eruption, which killed over 350 people. However, there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage from the latest event, although the alert level has been raised. Authorities have cautioned residents about potential lava flows from heavy rainfall in rivers originating from the volcano.
On Friday, the volcano had a similar but smaller eruption, sending a 10-kilometer (6.2-miles) molten plume of ash into the night sky, which was topped by lightning. The country’s geology agency also recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds, rocks, and lava traveling up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the mountain’s slopes. This comes after the volcano had a previous eruption last month, which led to the cancellation of 24 flights at Bali’s international airport.