At least ten people have died after a volcano in Eastern Indonesia erupted overnight and spewed fireballs and ash on surrounding villages, officials report.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,587-feet) twin volcano located on the popular tourist island of Flores, erupted shortly before midnight, leading to a forceful evacuation of several villages.
“Ten fatalities have been confirmed,” Abdul Muhari, spokesman of the country’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB), told Kompas TV.
As seen in footage received by AFP, villages near the volcano were buried in ash, and some parts were set ablaze. Reports indicate that at least five villages were affected. Wooden houses easily caught fire, and the ground was pitted with holes caused by molten rocks.
The country’s volcanology agency said the volcano erupted twice, the first time before midnight and then again at 1:27 a.m. (1727 GMT Sunday) and 2:48 a.m.
Locals and tourists were told not to be involved in any activity within a seven-kilometre (4.3-mile) radius of the crater, raising the alert level to the highest.
“There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity on Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki,” it said in a press release Monday, releasing images that showed the roofs of houses collapsed after they were struck by volcanic rocks and people seeking shelter in communal buildings.
The agency also told locals to wear masks for protection from volcanic ash as there was a probability of rain-induced lava floods,
Last week, a volcano experienced a series of eruptions, with the largest on Thursday sending ash 2,000 meters into the sky. In January, authorities raised the alert level due to several major eruptions and evacuated at least 2,000 residents.
Indonesia frequently experiences volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire.”
Notably, an eruption in December killed 24 climbers, mostly university students, and in May, heavy rains caused volcanic materials to sweep into residential areas, resulting in over 60 deaths.
Additionally, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi erupted multiple times, forcing thousands to evacuate.
