A major volcanic eruption in Indonesia has sent a towering ash cloud more than 6 miles (11 kilometers) into the sky, forcing the cancelation of dozens of flights to and from Bali and disrupting travel across Southeast Asia.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, located on Flores island in south-central Indonesia, erupted at 17:35 WITA on Tuesday, unleashing a fiery plume visible from as far as 150 kilometers away.
The country’s Geology Agency raised the volcano to its highest alert level, urging residents and tourists to avoid the area.
Images shared online show a dramatic mushroom-shaped orange cloud engulfing nearby villages, including Talibura.
Authorities imposed an 8-kilometer danger zone around the crater, warning of potential lava flows if heavy rains sweep volcanic debris into river valleys.
Travel disruptions in Bali
The eruption triggered a wave of flight cancellations at I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, with the airport’s website attributing the disruption to volcanic activity. Affected routes included domestic flights to Jakarta and Lombok, as well as international flights to and from Australia, China, India, Malaysia, New Zealand, and Singapore.
Singapore’s Changi Airport listed several canceled flights to Bali on Wednesday, including services by Jetstar, Scoot, and AirAsia. Singaporean tourist Athirah Rosli, 31, said her morning flight home was abruptly canceled, stranding her and her husband in Bali.
“My first reaction was annoyed and panicked but I calmed down almost immediately,” Rosli told CNN. “I see it was a blessing in disguise that we’re safe and well.”
In East Flores, Fransiskus Xaverius Seda Airport was also shut down until at least Thursday, according to AirNav Indonesia.
Ongoing volcanic activity
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted again on Wednesday morning, spewing a smaller 1-kilometer ash cloud. Officials said the latest explosion followed an unusual spike in volcanic activity, with more than 50 events recorded within two hours — far above the daily average of 8–10.
Disaster agency personnel evacuated residents from at least two nearby villages. No casualties were reported as of Wednesday afternoon.
The volcano, which stands 1.584 meters tall, previously erupted in May, triggering flight cancellations and raised alerts. A more severe eruption in November 2024 killed nine people and displaced thousands.
Over a thousand tourists impacted
The latest eruption has upended travel plans for more than 1.000 tourists, many of whom had planned trips to Bali or Komodo National Park, a popular destination for viewing Komodo dragons.
“We were looking at more than 1.000 tourists being affected with the cancelations,” said Remdy Doule from Bali-based tour agency Come2Indonesia.
Indonesia, home to more than 270 million people, is among the most seismically active nations on Earth. The archipelago lies along the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates meet and trigger frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of 120 active volcanoes in the country.
