Flores: Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has begun erupting again, at one point shooting an ash cloud 18km (11mi) into the sky, as residents flee their homes once more. There have been no reports of casualties since Monday morning, when the volcano on the island of Flores began spewing ash and lava again. Authorities have placed it on the highest alert level since an earlier round of eruptions three weeks ago.
According to BBC, at least 24 flights to and from the neighbouring resort island of Bali were cancelled on Monday, though some flights had resumed by Tuesday morning. The twin-peaked volcano erupted again at 19:30 on Monday, sending ash clouds and lava up to 13km into the air. It erupted a third time at 05:53 on Tuesday at a reduced intensity. Videos shared overnight show glowing red lava spurting from the volcano's peaks as residents get into cars and buses to flee.
More than 4,000 people have been evacuated from the area so far, according to the local disaster management agency. Residents who have stayed put are facing a shortage of water, food and masks, local authorities say. Paulus Sony Sang Tukan, who leads the Pululera village about 8km from Lewotobi Laki-laki, stated, "As the eruption continues, with several secondary explosions and ash clouds drifting westward and northward, the affected communities who have not been relocated... require focused emergency response efforts." He also noted concerns about the cleanliness of available water, which may have been contaminated by volcanic ash.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where tectonic plates collide, causing frequent volcanic activity and earthquakes. Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted multiple times this year, with no casualties reported so far. However, an eruption last November killed at least ten people and forced thousands to flee. Laki-Laki, meaning "man" in Indonesian, is twinned with the calmer but taller 1,703m peak named Perempuan, the Indonesian word for "woman."