No injuries reported as Indonesia volcano erupts, spewing tower of smoke and ash

Mount Ili Lewotolok, located in East Nusa Tenggara province in Indonesia, erupted on Friday, sending a tower of smoke and ash nearly a kilometre into the sky. The eruption did not result in any immediate reports of injuries or damage, but authorities have imposed a no-go zone of two kilometres around the crater and advised nearby residents to wear masks to avoid respiratory problems. The Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center has warned residents to be alert for potential dangers from lava flows and hot clouds. Indonesia is home to approximately 130 active volcanoes due to its location on the “Ring of Fire,” a belt of tectonic plate boundaries circling the Pacific Ocean where frequent seismic activity occurs. The alert status of Mount Ili Lewotolok remains at its third-highest level after Friday’s eruption, and no evacuations have been ordered yet. The last major eruption of the volcano occurred in late 2020, which triggered a flight warning and forced thousands to flee their homes. In late 2018, a volcano in the strait between Java and Sumatra islands erupted, causing an underwater landslide that unleashed a tsunami and killed more than 400 people.