Indonesian volcano erupts again, flights canceled

By Anadolu staff

A volcano in Indonesia again erupted, spewing volcanic ash and disrupting flight operations in the region, state-run media reported on Wednesday.

Local airport authorities in East Nusa Tenggara canceled all international and domestic flights to and from Lombok Airport in West Nusa Tenggara, according to Antara News.

"All flight routes from and to Lombok Airport were affected by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara. There were no flight activities today," said Arif Haryanto, an official at Lombok Airport.

He added that inbound and outbound flights on international routes connecting Lombok to Singapore and Kuala Lumpur have been canceled or delayed while domestic flights on routes from Lombok to Jakarta, Denpasar Bali, Surabaya, Yogyakarta, Sumbawa, and Bima were affected.

Meanwhile, evacuation due to the volcano eruption in the affected region of East Nusa Tenggara province continues as authorities said so far 12,200 displaced people have been moved to safe places.

Indonesia's President Prabowo Subianto, who is currently in the US, also chaired a meeting of senior officials last night and discussed the latest situation and relief activities in the affected areas.

"I received detailed updates on the disaster and ensured that all assistance is provided in a timely and targeted manner as quickly as possible," he said on X.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki began erupting on Nov. 3, killing at least 10 people and injuring over two dozen.

Indonesia, which lies along the "Pacific Ring of Fire," has 130 active volcanoes, making it one of the world's most seismically active countries.

*Writing by Islamuddin Sajid