Kathmandu. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, an active volcano in eastern Indonesia, erupted on Friday, sending ash into the skies of the region, forcing the closure of local airports, officials said.

The volcano, located on the island of Flores, erupted at 11:15 a.m. on Friday, sending smoke and ash into the air about 2.5 kilometers (2.5 kilometers) of the country, the National Fire Department said in a statement.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano is Indonesia’s second highest alert level volcano, with a five-kilometre exclusion zone around its crater.

The volcanology department has also advised people near the river to be alert, saying that if there is heavy rain at the time, there could be a dangerous flood with a mixture of materials from the volcanic eruption.

Authorities suspended operations at the local airport in the town of Moumere, about 60km west of Lewotobi Laki-Laki, affecting five domestic flights, airport chief Parthahian Panjaitan told AFP.

In July, Lewotobi Laki-Laki exploded around 18 kilometres of the country, sending ash and smoke, forcing the cancellation of 24 flights at Bali’s resort island’s international airport.

Indonesia is an island nation that is prone to frequent seismic and volcanic disasters due to its location in the Pacific “Ring of Fire”.