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CNA
13-07-2025
- CNA
Indonesia foils attempt to smuggle 1,200 endangered birds
KUPANG, Indonesia: Indonesian authorities have foiled a smuggling attempt of more than 1,200 endangered Javan white-eye birds after discovering them stuffed into cages, they said on Sunday (Jul 13). The popular cage bird is listed as endangered by the International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN) and a protected species by the Indonesian environment and forestry ministry. Officials found the huge cache of birds in eight cages on Friday, including 140 that died, at a port on Flores island in eastern Indonesia, Joko Waluyo, an official at a provincial conservation agency, told reporters on Sunday. The birds were due to be taken by ferry to Surabaya, a city in the east of Indonesia's main island Java. "The alleged perpetrator, who has not yet been found, brought Javan white-eye birds in eight bird cages. The number of birds that were attempted to be transported was 1,260, 140 of which were found dead," said Joko. The surviving white-eye birds were released back into the wild. "The release aims to save all secured (birds), increase the population in nature, and raise public awareness," he said. Under Indonesian law, poaching or trading of protected species is punishable by up to 15 years in prison. Indonesia's illegal trade in wildlife, along with habitat loss, has driven numerous endangered species, from the Sumatran elephant to the orangutan, to the brink of extinction.
Sky News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Sky News
Flights cancelled and breathing made 'painful' as ash cloud forms after Indonesian volcano erupts
Breathing has become "painful" for people in Indonesia after a large lava and ash cloud formed as a volcano erupted, causing flights to be cancelled, schools to close and sending people running for shelter amid difficult driving conditions. Thick volcanic ash covered roads and rice fields in villages in south-central Indonesia as lava and ash clouds were sent up to 4km (2.4 miles) as Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki on Flores Island erupted for the second day running, at dawn local time on Tuesday. Debris was recorded as going up to 18km (11 miles) 13km (eight miles) into the air when the eruptions began at around noon on Monday. Local people were told to limit time spent outdoors as roads and green rice fields became grey thick mud and rocks and schools in the affected areas had been closed since Monday, public information official Very Awales said. "The smell of sulfur and ash hung so thickly in the air that breathing was painful," he said. No injuries or deaths were reported, but pictures and videos posted on social media showed people running for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel, and car and motorbike drivers struggling in reduced visibility caused by the large mushroom-shaped ash cloud Monday's eruption created. 0:42 Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki has been at the highest alert level since 18 June when a no-go zone around it was expanded to 7km (4.3 miles), Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson said. More than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts have been affected, according to initial assessments by the local disaster management agency. Airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province were still closed on Tuesday, Mr Muhari said, and dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai International Airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or cancelled. Nine people died and dozens more were injured after the volcano erupted in November. In 2010, more than 350 people were killed and hundreds of thousands forced to leave their homes after Mount Merapi, the country's most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. Indonesia, which has 120 active volcanoes, sits along the so-called Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines around the Pacific Basin.
Arab News
08-07-2025
- Climate
- Arab News
Residents wear masks as volcanic ash blankets villages near erupting Indonesian volcano
MAUMERE, Indonesia: Residents wore masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that blanketed roads and green rice fields in villages in south-central Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted Tuesday for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) high. That followed an eruption around midday Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13 kilometers (8 miles) into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson. 'People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimize the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023,' Muhari said in a statement. The eruptions of the volcano on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to initial assessments by the local disaster management agency. Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks, said Very Awales, a public information official at Sikka district administration, adding that schools were closed in those affected areas since Monday to protect students and staff from various hazards due to volcanic activities. 'The smell of sulfur and ash hung so thickly in the air that breathing was painful,' Awales said. Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. Residents were also urged to be vigilant about heavy rainfall that could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano. The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. The Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the slopes of the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain Monday. Observations from drones showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep movement of magma that set off volcanic earthquakes. Volcanic materials, including hot thumb-size gravel, were thrown up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or canceled, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally despite the cancelations, as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Monday's initial eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki was one of Indonesia's largest since 2010 when Mount Merapi, the country's most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. That killed 353 people and forced over 350,000 people to evacuate. Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 280 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.
The Independent
08-07-2025
- Climate
- The Independent
Residents wear masks as volcanic ash blankets villages near erupting Indonesian volcano
Residents wore masks to protect themselves from thick volcanic ash that blanketed roads and green rice fields in villages in south-central Indonesia as rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted Tuesday for a second straight day. The eruption at dawn sent lava and clouds of ash up to 4 kilometers (2.4 miles) high. That followed an eruption around midday Monday that sent a column of volcanic materials up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky and an evening burst that spewed lava and send volcanic ash as high as 13 kilometers (8 miles) into the air. Photos and videos circulating on social media showed terrified residents ran for their lives under the rain of ash and gravel and motorists struggled to drive motorbikes and cars in the reduced visibility as the ash clouds from Monday's eruption expanded into a mushroom shape. No casualties have been reported from the latest eruptions of the volcano that has been at the highest alert level since June 18 when its no-go zone was expanded to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius, said Abdul Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson. ' People around the volcano have increasingly understood how to minimize the impact of disaster risks as eruptions became more frequent since the end of 2023,' Muhari said in a statement. The eruptions of the volcano on on Flores Island affected more than 10,000 people in 10 villages in East Flores and Sikka districts, according to initial assessments by the local disaster management agency. Thick volcanic ash and rocks were reported to have fallen in villages of Nawakote, Klantanio, Hokeng Jaya, Boru, Pululera and Wulanggitang, where roads and green rice fields were transformed into grey thick mud and rocks, said Very Awales, an public information official at Sikka district administration, adding that schools were closed in those affected areas since Monday to protect students and staff from various hazards due to volcanic activities. 'The smell of sulfur and ash hung so thickly in the air that breathing was painful,' Awales said. Authorities distributed 50,000 masks and urged residents to limit outdoor activities to protect themselves from volcanic materials. Residents were also urged to be vigilant about heavy rainfall that could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano. The eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki followed its eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens. The Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the slopes of the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain Monday. Observations from drones showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep movement of magma that set off volcanic earthquakes. Volcanic materials, including hot thumb-size gravel, were thrown up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. Muhari said two airports in the cities of Maumere and Larantuka in East Nusa Tenggara province remained closed Tuesday. Dozens of flights to and from the Ngurah Rai international airport on the resort island of Bali were delayed or canceled, but airport spokesperson Ahmad Syaugi Shahab said the airport was running normally despite the cancellations, as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Monday's initial eruption of Lewotobi Laki Laki was one of Indonesia's largest since 2010 when Mount Merapi, the country's most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. That killed 353 people and forced over 350,000 people to evacuate. Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 280 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. ___
Associated Press
07-07-2025
- Associated Press
Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano erupts and sends searing-hot ash miles high
JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia's rumbling Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted twice on Monday, sending a column of volcanic materials up to 18 kilometers (11 miles) into the sky, dumping ash on villages and causing flight cancellations. No casualties were immediately reported. The volcano on Flores island has been at the highest alert level since an eruption on June 18, and an exclusion zone had been doubled to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius as eruptions became more frequent. Indonesia's Geology Agency recorded an avalanche of searing gas clouds mixed with rocks and lava traveling up to 5 kilometers (3 miles) down the slopes of the 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) mountain. Observations from drones showed lava filling the crater, indicating deep movement of magma that set off earthquakes. The initial column of hot clouds that rose just after 11:00 a.m. local time (0305 GMT) was the volcano's highest since the major eruption in November 2024 that killed nine people and injured dozens, said Muhammad Wafid, the Geology Agency chief. It also erupted in March. 'An eruption of that size certainly carries a higher potential for danger, including its impact on aviation,' Wafid told The Associated Press. 'We shall reevaluate to enlarge its danger zone that must be cleared of villagers and tourist activities.' The volcano erupted again just after 7:30 p.m. (1100 GMT), spewing lava and sending clouds of ash up to 13 kilometers (8 miles) into the air, according to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation. By Monday afternoon, at least 24 flights between Bali and Australia, Singapore and South Korea were cancelled and many others delayed, while flights on four domestic routes were cancelled, said Ahmad Syaugi Shahab, spokesperson for Bali's Ngurah Rai international airport. He said the airport was running normally despite the cancellations, as monitoring showed the volcanic ash had not affected Bali's airspace. Falling ash after the initial eruption blanketed several villages with debris and blocked sunlight for almost half an hour, Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, said in a statement. He said volcanic materials, including thumb-size fragments of gravel and ash, were thrown up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. He warned residents to be vigilant about heavy rainfall that could trigger lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano. Photos and videos circulated on social media showed the ash cloud expanding into a mushroom shape as tons of volcanic debris covered houses up to their rooftops in nearby villages. Some residents ran in panic under the rain of volcanic material or fled with motorbikes and cars. Monday's eruptions were the result of the accumulation of energy due to a blockage of magma in the crater, which reduced detectable seismic activity while building up pressure, Wijaya said. The initial eruption was one of Indonesia's largest since 2010 when Mount Merapi, the country's most volatile volcano, erupted on the densely populated island of Java. That killed 353 people and forced over 350,000 people to evacuate. Indonesia is an archipelago of more than 280 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.
