Breathtaking images showcase eruption of Indonesia’s highly active volcano

For the second day in a row, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, erupted. 

A powerful eruption sent a column of smoke and volcanic material soaring 11 miles into the sky early Saturday, covering nearby villages in debris. Fortunately, no casualties have been reported. This explosion is one of the largest in the country since Mount Merapi, its most active volcano, erupted in 2010.

Just hours before this, on Friday, another eruption saw smoke and ash rising up to 6.2 miles, illuminating the sky with glowing lava and flashes of lightning.

This eruption follows close on the heels of an incident less than a month ago, which prompted Bali’s Ngurah Rai Airport to delay and cancel flights after an eruption on July 7 left roads and fields smothered in debris.

With 280 million residents, Indonesia is home to 120 active volcanoes and is situated along the “Ring of Fire,” a pattern of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Ocean.