A volcano in southeast Flores Island, Indonesia, called Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, has erupted, sending ash into the sky over 8km (5 miles). This has disrupted flights and raised emergency warnings for local residents and tourists.
Indonesia’s Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation advised against any activities within a 7-8km (4.4-5 miles) radius of the volcano in the southwest and northeast sectors due to the eruption.
The Indonesia volcanology agency reported the ash column as grey to black with thick intensity. The eruption began at 10:56pm local time on Thursday night (14:56 GMT).
There were no immediate reports of damage to nearby villages, but the agency warned of potential volcanic mudflows due to heavy rainfall. Consequently, the country’s geological agency raised the volcano’s alert level to the highest tier.

Jetstar, a low-cost subsidiary of Australia’s Qantas Airways, cancelled flights from Australia to the Indonesian holiday island of Bali due to the volcanic ash on Friday morning, with flights expected to resume by the afternoon.
According to a spokesperson for Bali’s airport, the gateway was still operating despite the cancellation of seven international flights and delays in domestic routes.
A tsunami warning was issued by the Japan Meteorological Agency following the eruption, which did not materialize.
The volcano previously erupted in November, resulting in at least 10 deaths and displacement of thousands.