Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted for a second straight day early Saturday, propelling a column of ash and volcanic debris about 18 kilometres into the sky and coating surrounding villages on Flores Island with gravel-sized fragments, the country’s Geology Agency said. The explosive event followed a blast late Friday that sent ash 10 kilometres high. Seismic monitors detected deep magma movement, and drones observed dense clouds of gas, rock and lava rolling as far as 5 kilometres down the volcano’s flanks. Authorities reported no injuries but warned residents to watch for rain-triggered lava flows and adhered to a 7-kilometre exclusion zone kept at the highest alert level, IV. Volcanic ash drifting southwest and southeast forced the cancellation of flights into and out of H. Hasan Aroeboesman Airport in Ende on Saturday, according to airport officials. Aviation authorities and the Darwin Volcanic Ash Advisory Centre are tracking the plume, which was detected up to 45,000 feet. Lewotobi Laki Laki, rising 1,584 metres on the eastern end of the archipelago, has been erupting intermittently since June. The latest activity is among Indonesia’s largest eruptions since Mount Merapi in 2010, underscoring the continued seismic volatility along the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”