Alert raised to the highest level after Indonesia volcano erupts

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LEMBATA, Indonesia — Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted on Tuesday, spewing towering columns of hot ash into the air. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the danger zone to 8 kilometers (about 5 miles) from the crater.

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 ashes expanded into a mushroom-shaped ash cloud that could be seen from the cities located 90 kilometers (about 56 miles) to 150 kilometers (nearly 93 miles) from the mountain.

There were no casualties reported.

Residents were warned to be vigilant about heavy rainfall triggering lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano

An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens.

The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the district of Flores Timur.

Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.