Hanoi (VNA) - Frans Xavier Seda Airport in Indonesia's eastern province of East Nusa Tenggara was temporarily closed on February 26 following the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the island of Flores, according to the flight navigation service AirNav Indonesia.
The airport, located in the Sikka region, was closed for a day until the situation was deemed safe for flights, said an official from AirNav Indonesia.
The closure was also prompted by a report from a pilot flying from the town of Maumere to Kupang, the provincial capital. The pilot detected the smell of sulfur at an altitude between 1,500 – 3,300 metres.
According to the country's Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted at around 6:40 a.m. local time, spewing ash up to 2,500 metres above its peak.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki is currently at Level III, one level below Indonesia's highest volcano alert level. Standing at approximately 1,584 metres above sea level, it forms a twin volcano with Lewotobi Perempuan, located in the southeastern part of Flores Island.
Situated on the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia has one of the highest concentrations of volcanoes in the world./.
