Alert raised to the highest level after Indonesia's Mt. Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts

LEMBATA, Indonesia — Mt. Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted on Tuesday, spewing towering columns of hot ash into the air. Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the danger zone to about 5 miles from the crater.

Indonesia’s Geology Agency said in a statement it recorded the volcano unleashing about 32,800 feet of thick grey clouds on Tuesday afternoon, following significant volcanic activities, including 50 in two hours, rather than the usual daily 8 to 10 activities.

The ashes expanded into a mushroom-shaped ash cloud that could be seen from the cities located about 56 miles to nearly 93 miles from the mountain.

There were no casualties reported.

Residents were warned to be vigilant about heavy rainfall triggering lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano

An eruption of Mt. Lewotobi Laki Laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens.

The 5,197-foot mountain is a twin volcano with Mt. Lewotobi Perempuan in the district of Flores Timur.

Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanoes and sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.