Indonesian volcano sends ash cloud 8km high, some flights cancelled 

An eruption by Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located in the southeastern part of Flores Island, spewed ash clouds more than 8km (5 miles) into the air, disrupting flights and raising emergency warnings to the highest level for residents and tourists.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation warned locals and visitors on Friday against activities within a radius of 7-8km (4.4-5 miles) in the southwest and northeast sectors of the eruption.

“The ash column was observed grey to black with thick intensity,” Indonesia’s volcanology agency said in a statement about the eruption that began at 10:56pm local time on Thursday night (14:56 GMT).

There were no immediate reports of damage to nearby villages, but the agency warned residents of the potential for volcanic mudflow due to heavy rainfall. The long eruption prompted the country’s geological agency to raise the volcano’s alert level to the highest of the four-tiered system.

Jetstar – Australia’s Qantas Airways’ low-cost subsidiary – cancelled flights from Australia to the Indonesian holiday island of Bali on Friday morning because of the volcanic ash. Flights were expected to resume by the afternoon.

A spokesperson for Bali’s airport told the Reuters news agency that the gateway was still operating despite seven cancelled international flights and delayed domestic routes.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki’s eruption was followed by a tsunami warning from the Japan Meteorological Agency, which did not transpire.

The volcano previously erupted last November, killing at least 10 people and displacing thousands.