The post has been opened in coordination with the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), National Police (Polri), and the Manggarai Barat district government, East Nusa Tenggara.
The post has been reopened to support the evacuation of passengers or tourists affected by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki via sea, the head of Class III Labuan Bajo KSOP, Stephanus Risdiyanto, said in Labuan Bajo on Monday.
According to information provided by the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) at 11:30 a.m. local time, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted again on Monday morning.
As per the movement pattern of the Volcanic Ash Polygon released by VAAC Darwin, the ash from the volcano is estimated to spread above Manggarai Barat or Komodo Airport.
“So, we are reopening the post,” Risdiyanto said.
He added that the post is an integrated post whose members have been drawn from the Manggarai Barat district government, TNI-Polri, BMKG, Komodo Airport, the Labuan Bajo Flores Authority (BPOLBF), the Health Quarantine Center, and related maritime elements in Labuan Bajo.
“The team is ready; there is no doubt about it,” he said.
He added that the post was opened earlier on June 18, 2025, in response to the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki.
The post supported the evacuation of 88 tourists—59 foreign and 29 domestic—from Labuan Bajo on fast boats.
“Tourists were evacuated by ships to Sape, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and Bali. Ships were used because there were no flights due to the spread of volcanic ash,” he said.
The official expressed the hope that tourists and residents affected by the latest eruption in Labuan Bajo will reach out to the sea transportation readiness post for necessary aid.
“We hope that there will be rain so that the spread of volcanic ash does not reach the airspace of Labuan Bajo,” he said.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Wulanggitang sub-district, Flores Timur district, East Nusa Tenggara, erupted again at 11.05 a.m. local time on Monday, sending an ash column 18 thousand meters high from its peak.
The ash column was observed to be gray to black, with thick intensity, and leaning toward the north, northeast, and northwest.
Risdiyanto said that he is coordinating with other port authorities, such as in Sape, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), and Bali, to ease the evacuation of residents or tourists trapped in Labuan Bajo due to the eruption.
He is also working with the ship owners’ association to provide ships for rent to tourists so they can travel from Labuan Bajo to other destinations that have not been affected by the eruption.
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Translator: Arie Novarina
Editor: Azis Kurmala
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