JAKARTA, March 21 (Xinhua) -- The administration of East Flores regency in Indonesia's East Nusa Tenggara province has declared an emergency response status after the alert level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki was raised to the highest level on Thursday, National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari said on Friday.

The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation recorded a significant increase in volcanic activity between March 13 and March 20, including a rise in volcanic earthquakes and eruption columns. A major eruption occurred at 23:56 local time on Thursday, with the height of ash column measured at approximately 8,000 meters above the summit, which is about 9,584 meters above sea level.

The eruption has also affected air travel, leading to multiple international flight cancellations. According to I Gusti Ngurah Rai Airport management in Bali, seven international flights were canceled between 09:45 and 16:00 local time on Friday. Additionally, five international flights experienced delays, while domestic flights have not yet seen cancellations.

"As an anticipatory measure, the East Flores regency government declared an emergency response status for the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, which is valid for 14 days from March 20 to April 2," Muhari said in a press release.

A total of 389 people were evacuated on Wednesday from villages at risk of being impacted by eruptions, he said. According to BNPB data, around 4,000 residents remained displaced since the first eruption on Nov. 4, 2024.

Richard Felt, a senior official at the provincial disaster management and mitigation agency, told Xinhua that the total number of evacuees in the regency has reached 4,796.

The BNPB has urged the public to remain calm and avoid misinformation regarding the eruption. Residents within a 7 km radius of the volcano, as well as those within 8 km in the southwest and northeast sectors, have been advised to evacuate immediately. The BNPB also warned against the potential for rain lava floods due to volcanic material carried by water when it rains. Enditem

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