Ash and Alarm: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s Eruption Shakes Indonesia and Beyond
ominously dark on June 17, 2025, when Mount Lewotobi Laki‑Laki suddenly erupted, sending a towering ash plume over 10 km into the atmosphere. Villages nearby were blanketed in thick ash almost instantly. In response, authorities raised the volcanic alert to red, closed off the crater in an 8‑kilometer exclusion zone, and grounded flights bound for Bali. Travelers stood stunned as airports went silent, and officials urged everyone to stay safe amid the chaos.
Local authorities sprang into action as small tremors gave way to a powerful blast. “There was an eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki‑laki on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, at 17:35 WITA,” said Volcano Observation Officer Yohanes Kolli Sorywutun. He confirmed that the volcano’s alert status was raised to the highest level. Airports in East Nusa Tenggara province, including Maumere and Labuan Bajo, shut immediately to avoid ash hazards, while rescue teams set up checkpoints and helped evacuate nearby villages.
Airlines found themselves in a scramble to reroute or cancel flights across Southeast Asia and beyond. According to flight logs, “Up to 87 flights were affected, with 66 international and 21 domestic routes disrupted.” Major carriers like Air India, Singapore Airlines, Jetstar, and Virgin Australia halted operations to prevent ash from damaging aircraft engines. While Bali’s Ngurah Rai International Airport resumed flights two days later, smaller regional airports remained closed due to ongoing ash contamination.
Nearby communities were hit hard by falling ash and debris, and the danger of lahars, mudflows triggered by rain mixing with volcanic material. As officials warned, “People around disaster‑prone areas should be aware of the potential for lava floods if heavy rain occurs.” Residents of Boru, Hewa, and Watobuku were advised to stay indoors, wear dust masks, and prepare emergency kits until conditions improved and air quality stabilized.
This eruption marks one of several recent explosive events at Lewotobi. In November 2024, an earlier eruption killed nine people, destroyed homes and a convent, and forced more than 16,000 residents to evacuate. Reports noted pressure building beneath the volcano led to that deadly blast, and similar signs were observed leading up to the June eruption. Since January 2025, even smaller eruptions have occurred nearly daily, prompting geologists to warn that pressure release is often unpredictable and sudden.
Officials say monitoring will remain intense going forward. They are expanding early‑warning systems, planning to permanently relocate individuals living within high‑risk zones, and enforcing strict safety protocols. As Indonesia sits on the restless Pacific Ring of Fire, the May eruption and especially the June incident stand as a stark reminder that even a short warning can precede powerful volcanic events, demanding vigilance from both residents and visitors.
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