Mount Ili Lewotolok Erupts Again in the Early Hours of Today, Volcanic Ash Reaches 600 Meters Above the Peak

Mount Ili Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara erupted again on Sunday, February 25, 2024, at 04:50 WITA. In the last week, Mount Ili Lewotolok has erupted 12 times.

Based on eruption information from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia application, the height of the ash column was observed to be approximately 600 meters above the peak or 2,023 meters above sea level.

The ash column was observed to be gray with thick intensity towards the southeast. The eruption was recorded on a seismograph with a maximum amplitude of 19 millimeters and a duration of 60 seconds.

According to the MAGMA Indonesia volcano activity report, the activity level of Mount Ili Lewotolok is at Level II (Alert). Observations of seismic activity on February 25, 2024, from 00:00 to 23:59 WITA showed 15 eruption quakes with amplitudes of 17-35.3 millimeters and durations of 39-160 seconds.

Then, there were 9 rockfall quakes with amplitudes of 2-5.8 mm and durations of 31-137 seconds, and 362 emission quakes with amplitudes of 2.2-26 millimeters and durations of 46-273 seconds.

PVMBG urges the community around Mount Ili Lewotolok, as well as visitors/climbers/tourists, not to enter or carry out activities within a 2-kilometer radius of the center of Mount Ili Lewotolok's activity, and the residents of Lamawolo Village, Lamatokan Village, and Jontona Village to always be aware of the potential dangers of lava collapses/landslides and pyroclastic flows from the east, south, and southeast of the peak/crater of Mount Ili Lewotolok.

During 2024, MAGMA Indonesia has recorded 264 volcanic eruptions throughout Indonesia. Mount Marapi in West Sumatra had the most eruptions (72 times), while Mount Ili Lewotolok erupted 22 times.