Mount Ili Lewotolok Erupts Again This Afternoon, Volcanic Ash Plume 500 Meters Above Peak

Mount Ili Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara erupted again on Friday (1/23/2026) at 3:06 PM WITA. In the last week, Mount Ili Lewotolok has erupted 5 times.

Based on eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the observed ash column was approximately 500 meters above the peak or 1,923 meters above sea level.

The ash column was observed to be gray to black with thick intensity towards the east. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 11.6 millimeters and a duration of 37 seconds.

(Read: These are the 10 Largest Earthquakes in History, Two of Them from Indonesia)

According to MAGMA Indonesia's volcano activity report, the activity level of Mount Ili Lewotolok is at Level III (Alert). Seismicity observations on January 23, 2026, from 06:00-12:00 WITA, showed 53 eruption/explosion earthquakes with amplitudes of 17.5-33.2 millimeters and durations of 33-52.9 seconds.

Subsequently, there were 75 emission earthquakes with amplitudes of 2.4-13.8 millimeters and durations of 19.4-60.3 seconds, and 3 non-harmonic tremors with amplitudes of 7.5-18.1 millimeters and durations of 117.2-156 seconds.

PVMBG urges the public around Mount Ili Lewotolok, as well as visitors/climbers/tourists, not to enter or conduct activities within a 3-kilometer radius from the center of Mount Ili Lewotolok's activity.

Throughout 2026, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 314 volcanic eruptions across Indonesia. Mount Semeru in East Java had the most eruptions (170 times), while Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted 17 times.

(Read: 10 Countries with the Most Earthquakes in 2023, Indonesia Ranks First)