Travel advisories issued in light of volcanic eruption in Indonesia

Several governments across the globe have issued travel advisories warning their nationals to practise caution or call off travel to Indonesia in light of the most recent volcanic eruption and a Magnitude 5 earthquake that hit the country early today, 11th November.

Global disaster monitoring site Crisis24 reported that a magnitude-5.0 offshore earthquake occurred near Indonesia’s Watubela Archipelago at around 07:35 today; its epicentre was about 107 km northwest of Tual, Indonesia.

The tremor occurred at a depth of about 10 km (6 miles), and light shaking was probably felt in parts of Maluku and West Papua provinces.

As of press time, there have been no initial reports of damage or casualties as a result of the earthquake; significant damage, however, is unlikely.

Crisis24 warned that it could take several hours until authorities can conduct comprehensive damage assessments, especially in remote areas. Also, aftershocks are likely over the coming days, though the event has not prompted any tsunami advisories.

Travellers and locals have been advised that officials may temporarily shut down transportation infrastructure in the tremor zone to check for damage. Minor disruptions could occur during shutdowns, but service will likely resume quickly if no damage is found. Utility outages are also possible where shaking occurred.

Keeping an eye on Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki 

The United Kingdom’s Foreign, Commonwealth, and Development Office (FCDO) reiterated an earlier warning made on Wednesday, 6th November this morning (1200hrs, SGT):

FCDO now  advises against all travel to within 7km of the crater of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province.

British travellers were likewise warned that their travel insurance could be invalidated if they travel against the FCDO’s advice.

The UK FCDO also warned its nationals against travelling to the following locations:

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, East Nusa Tenggara 

FCDO advises against all travel to within 7km of the crater of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores Island, East Nusa Tenggara Province. This is an exclusion zone put in place by the local authorities. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on 3 November 2024.

Mount Sinabung, North Sumatra

FCDO advises against all travel to within 5km of the Mount Sinabung crater in Karo Regency, North Sumatra. This is an exclusion zone put in place by the local authorities.

Mount Marapi, West Sumatra

FCDO advises against all travel to within 3km of the crater of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra. This is an exclusion zone put in place by the local authorities.

Mount Semeru, East Java

FCDO advises against all travel to:

• within 5 km of the crater of Mount Semeru in Lumajang Regency, East Java
• the south-east area of Mount Semeru along the Besuk Kobokan river, approximately 13km from the crater, and 500m from any Besuk Kobokan riverbank

These are exclusion zones put in place by the local authorities.

Mount Ruang, Northern Sulawesi

FCDO advises against all travel to within 7km of the crater of Mount Ruang in Northern Sulawesi. This is an exclusion zone put in place by the local authorities. Mount Ruang erupted on 16 April 2024.

Mount Ibu, North Maluku

FCDO advises against all travel to within 7km of the crater of Mount Ibu in North Maluku Province. This is an exclusion zone put in place by the local authorities. Mount Ibu erupted on 6 June 2024.

General warning on political unrest remains

At the same time, foreign travellers have been advised to be cautious during their stay in Indonesia due to the high potential for political unrest, as well as the potential threat of terrorism

The Australian government’s Smartraveller site made this announcement:

We’ve reviewed our advice for Indonesia and continue to advise exercise a high degree of caution. Higher levels apply in some areas.

(Note: This is a developing story. Additional details will be published as soon as available.)