Volcanic activity at Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) has increased again. On Tuesday afternoon (July 14, 2026) at 3:36 p.m. WITA, the volcano reportedly erupted once more. This event adds to a long list of volcanic activity for the volcano, which has erupted 15 times over the past week.
According to an official release from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) via the MAGMA Indonesia system, the eruption's ash column was observed rising to a height of about 600 meters above the peak, or equivalent to 2,184 meters above sea level. The dense gray ash column was reported to be blowing toward the north. Seismograph recordings show that this eruption had a maximum amplitude of 29.6 millimeters with a destructive phase duration of around 59 seconds.
Currently, authorities maintain Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki's activity level at Level III (Alert status). During the observation period on the same day between 06:00 and 12:00 WITA, officers detected two eruption earthquakes with amplitudes ranging from 9.6 to 44.4 millimeters. Additionally, 10 non-harmonic tremor earthquakes and one low-frequency earthquake were recorded, indicating that magma activity inside the volcano remains very dynamic.
Anticipating potential hazards posed by volcanic material, PVMBG strictly urges local residents and tourists to clear the danger zone. All human activity is strictly prohibited within a 5-kilometer sectoral radius from the active crater center of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki to avoid the direct threat of pyroclastic flows and lava falls.
Nationally, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki's eruption frequency is one of the highest in Indonesia throughout 2026, reaching a cumulative total of 401 eruptions. This figure places it second after Mount Semeru in East Java, which recorded 1,402 eruptions out of a total of 3,176 volcanic eruption events nationwide.
