JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — The Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano in south-central Indonesia erupted three times into Friday, sending an ash column 8,000 meters (26,000 feet) high and prompting authorities to expand the danger zone around the volcano.
The volcano on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has had hundreds of earthquakes and visible volcanic activity has significantly increased in the last seven days.
An eruption followed by an explosion was heard Thursday evening as far away as Larantuka and Maumere, two cities about 50 kilometers (30 miles) to 85 kilometers (53 miles) from the volcano. The eruption was recorded at several monitoring stations on Flores island, Muhammad Wafid, chief of Indonesia’s Geology Agency, said in a statement.
There were two other eruptions, and smaller activity occurred during the day Friday. Smoke blew around the crater with weak to moderate pressure, and firelight was seen at the peak, indicating the glowing volcanic material was at a shallow depth.
On Friday, the volcano was still spewing thick, gray clouds from the crater.
The ash from the eruptions also covered streets and plantations. Some residents tried to clear the streets of ash and fallen trees using simple tools, such as shovels and hoes.
A number of residents were injured by hot dust from the eruptions.
“They were all guarding the cornfield when the volcano erupted. And when they ran together with the hot lava that started to fall, it injured their legs and backs.” said Maria Magdalena, a resident of Nurabelen village in East Flores district.
Authorities raised the eruption alert to the highest level and expanded the danger zone from 7 kilometers (4.5 miles) to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater. No new evacuations were ordered.
“We are still waiting for instructions from the government to evacuate,” said a resident, Paulina Telesiku.
Several airlines canceled flights between Australia and Indonesia’s tourist island of Bali, while other international and domestic flights to the island have been delayed.
Residents were warned to be vigilant about heavy rainfall triggering lava flows in rivers originating from the volcano, Indonesia's geology agency said in a statement.
An eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in November killed nine people and injured dozens.
The 1,584-meter (5,197 foot) mountain is a twin volcano with Mount Lewotobi Perempuan in the Flores Timur district.
Indonesia is an archipelago of 270 million people with frequent seismic activity. It has 120 active volcanos and sits along the “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped series of seismic fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
An Indonesian volcanology agency official takes photos of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in East Flores, Indonesia Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ester Narek)
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials into the air in East Flores, Indonesia Friday, March 21, 2025. (AP Photo/Ester Narek)
BEIJING (AP) — U.S. Senator Steve Daines, a strong supporter of President Donald Trump, met with Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, with warm exchanges in front of journalists on Saturday even as tensions between their countries spiked over trade tariffs and the handling of the illegal trade in fentanyl.
Daines, the first member of Congress to visit Beijing since Trump took office in January, will meet with Chinese Premier Li Qiang on Sunday and the nation's No. 2 official will give him an introduction to China's policies, according to He.
Daines, who previously worked for American consumer goods company Procter & Gamble in south China's economic hub of Guangzhou, said this trip marked his sixth visit to China and he had met Li in 2018 when he served as the party secretary of Shanghai.
He said this visit comes at a time when there are some important issues to discuss between China and the U.S.
“I’ve always believed in having constructive dialogue and that has been the nature of all my visits to China over the course of many years,” he said.
The U.S. Embassy in China posted on X later Saturday that Daines voiced Trump's ongoing call for Beijing to stop the flow of fentanyl precursors from China. Daines also expressed hopes that further high-level talks between the two countries will take place in the near future, the post added.
Ahead of the trip that began on Thursday, his office said he is coordinating closely with the White House and will be “carrying President Trump’s America First agenda.” Daines served as a go-between during the first Trump administration when tariffs were also a major issue.
Daines, a senator for Montana, said on X earlier this week that he would be talking with Chinese officials about curbing the production and distribution of fentanyl and “the need to reduce the trade deficit and ensure fair market access for our Montana farmers, ranchers and producers.”
Just months into Trump's second term, tensions between the world’s two largest economies have risen after the U.S. imposed 20% duties on Chinese goods and drew retaliatory tariffs of 15% on U.S. farm goods from China. Additionally, the U.S. accuses China of doing too little to stop the export of precursor materials for fentanyl, a highly potent opiate blamed for tens of thousands of deaths in the U.S.
In response, Chinese Foreign Minister Wang Yi earlier this month accused Washington of “meeting good with evil” and said China will continue to retaliate for the United States’ “arbitrary tariffs."
Beijing also responded with a report detailing its efforts to control the illegal trade in fentanyl, specifically the ingredients for the opioid that are made in China.
The report said that China and the U.S. have held multiple high-level meetings since early last year to promote cooperation, and that its Narcotics Control Bureau holds regular exchanges with the U.S. Drug Enforcement Agency.
China is committed to cooperation, the report said, “but firmly opposes the U.S. imposition of unlawful sanctions and unreasonable pressure on China on the pretext of responding to fentanyl-related issues.”
Daines arrived in Beijing on Thursday and exchanged views with Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu on bilateral relations and issues of mutual concern on the second day. His trip to the Chinese capital followed a visit to Vietnam where he met top leaders.
U.S. Senator Steve Daines, center, looks at Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, left before their meeting held in the Xinjiang Room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, second right, holds talks with U.S. Sen. Steve Daines, second from left, before a meeting held at the Xinjiang Room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, right, shows the way for U.S. Sen. Steve Daines before a meeting held in the Xinjiang Room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng, right, shakes hands with U.S. Senator Steve Daines before a meeting held in the Xinjiang Room at the Great Hall of the People in Beijing, China, Saturday, March 22, 2025. (AP Photo/Ng Han Guan, Pool)
