Indonesia volcano erupts ash 8,200 feet into air, prompting brief fears of tsunami

A volcano on Flores Island in Indonesia woke up island residents early Friday when the latest eruptive episode sent ash and smoke up 8,200 feet into the air, according to local geological officials.

The Lewotobi Laki-laki (Lewotobi Laki) volcano on the southeastern part of Flores Island in Indonesia continues to erupt. The latest eruption prompted officials to raise the alert level from 3 to 4 – the highest level.  The eruption also initially prompted fears of a potential tsunami in Japan from any pressure wave triggered by the volcano, but so far Japanese Meteorological Agency officials say none has been detected.

The volcanic column is spewing ash up to 8,200 feet in the air, according to Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG).

Indonesian geology officials said hundreds of earthquakes were recorded near the volcano from March 13 to 20, ahead of the latest eruption around midnight local time.

The FOX Forecast Center found satellite imagery showing the eruption occurring around midnight local time in Indonesia. 

“The community around Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki and visitors/tourists should not carry out any activities within a radius of 7 km and 8 km in the Southwest and Northeast sectors of the eruption center of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki,” according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.

There are no initial reports of any injuries.

Information in this article was obtained using Google Translate.