Indonesia's Mount Ile Lewotolok Erupts Twice, Alert Issued
Mount Ile Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara erupted twice Monday. Officials have issued a safety alert due to risks of lava avalanches and ashfall.
LEMBATA, Indonesia — Mount Ile Lewotolok, a prominent volcano in the Lembata Regency of East Nusa Tenggara, recorded two consecutive eruptions on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026, forcing authorities to heighten safety protocols for nearby residents. The volcano sent ash plumes reaching 600 meters above its peak, raising immediate concerns over potential lava avalanches and hazardous airborne particulates.
The first eruption occurred at 5:41 a.m. local time (WIB), producing a thick, gray ash column that drifted toward the southeast and southwest. Seismographic data recorded an amplitude of 40 millimeters with a 42-second duration, accompanied by moderate audible rumblings. Less than an hour later, at 6:15 a.m., a second eruption mirrored the initial intensity, discharging a similar 600-meter plume.
"The second eruption was accompanied by weaker rumblings," said Stanislaus Ara Kian, an observer at the Ile Lewotolok volcanic monitoring post. This second event lasted approximately one minute and six seconds, maintaining the same 40-millimeter amplitude as the earlier blast.
The Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) maintains the volcano’s status at Level II, or "Waspada" (Alert). Under these conditions, officials have established a strict exclusion zone for local communities and travelers. Residents and visitors are prohibited from entering a two-kilometer radius from the central crater. In the southern and southeastern sectors, the danger zone is expanded to three kilometers due to the increased risk of pyroclastic flows and lava slides.
Beyond the immediate risk of physical impact, health officials are urging the public to utilize masks to prevent respiratory infections caused by volcanic ash inhalation. Furthermore, residents have been advised to secure all water storage facilities to prevent contamination from fine ash fallout.
Mount Ile Lewotolok remains a volatile feature of the local landscape, and authorities are monitoring seismic activity around the clock. The current safety perimeter is designed to minimize exposure to shifting volcanic materials that frequently threaten the southern, eastern, and northeastern slopes of the mountain.
