A volcanic eruption in Indonesia spewed a colossal ash tower into the sky on Tuesday, as authorities raised the alert status to the highest level and urged tourists and locals to stay away.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,584-metre-high twin-peaked volcano on the tourist island of Flores, erupted at 5:35 pm local time.
Indonesia’s Geology Agency said in a statement it recorded the volcano unleashing 10,000 meters (about 32,800 feet) of thick grey clouds on Tuesday afternoon, following significant volcanic activities, including 50 in two hours, rather than the usual daily 8 to 10 activities.
'The height of the eruption column was observed at approximately 10,000 metres above the summit. The ash column was observed to be grey with thick intensity,' it said.
The agency also raised the alert level of the volcano to the most dangerous, warning of potential lava flows if it heavily rains.
