Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials from its crater during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia, Jan 14, 2024. (PHOTO / AP)

JAKARTA - The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano on the Indonesian island of Flores erupted on Monday at around 1:20 pm local time, throwing ash up to 1,500 meters above its peak, the country's Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said in a statement on Monday.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been at Level IV, the country's highest danger level for a volcano since Tuesday last week, indicating that an eruption could threaten settlements around the volcano.

Amid the volcano's activity escalation, more than 6,500 villagers living near the volcano were evacuated for their safety

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The PVMBG has called on the public not to carry out any activities within a radius of 4 kilometers from the center of the eruption, with an expanded sector of 5 kilometers in the northwest and north. It has also warned of the potential for cold lava surging into rivers upstream from the peak in case of intense rain.

Standing as high as around 1,584 meters above sea level, Lewotobi Laki-Laki is a twin volcano with the other one called Lewotobi Perempuan, located in the southeast part of Flores island.

Since early this month, the PVMBG has recorded 25 eruptions of Lewotobi Laki-Laki, making it the volcano with the most eruptions this year in the Southeast Asian country.

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Amid the volcano's activity escalation, more than 6,500 villagers living near the volcano were evacuated for their safety.