Jakarta (ANTARA) - Thousands of residents of Dulipali Village, East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT), were evacuated before the cold lava flood from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki struck their area on Tuesday, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated.

"Dulipali residents had been evacuated since the last eruption on July 7. There were no casualties (from the cold lava flood)," head of BNPB's Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, noted in Jakarta.

He emphasized that early evacuation was vital to preventing casualties, especially since the cold lava flowed rapidly into residential areas and currently blocks the Trans Flores national road.

BNPB confirmed that heavy rainfall since Monday (July 28) on the mountain's peak and slopes triggered the cold lava flood, carrying volcanic material such as sand, gravel, and rocks that had been deposited by intense eruptive activity since the start of the month.

According to information received from the East Flores District Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) rapid response team, floodwaters rapidly flowed through four normalized river channels in Nurabelen Village: Hamlet A, Hamlet B, the TPI route, and Waikula.

Meanwhile, in Dulipali Village, lava flows reached residential areas and disrupted traffic on the Trans-Flores route.

"Dulipali Village is located within the eruption-prone area of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki. The cold lava flow from the summit leads directly to this area, making it a priority for evacuation since the volcano's status was raised," Muhari remarked.

He stated that the joint team had been deployed to the location to assess the impact of the cold lava flood and to clear debris using heavy equipment.

Under the command of the East Flores BPBD, intensive coordination was conducted to expedite mitigation efforts, involving personnel from the Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI), the Indonesian National Police (Polri), village government officials, and volunteers.

Earlier, the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) reported that Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki's status remains at Level IV, or Alert.

Its last eruption on July 7, 2025, spewed an ash column 18 thousand meters above the summit. Residents are prohibited from engaging in activities within a six-kilometer radius of the active crater and a seven-kilometer sector stretching southwest to northeast.

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