Kehinde Fajobi
At least 10 people lost their lives following a late-night eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores Island, eastern Indonesia, officials confirmed on Monday.
The eruption, which occurred at 11:57 p.m. local time on Sunday, unleashed powerful lava plumes and blazing rocks, forcing the evacuation of several villages.
Hadi Wijaya, spokesperson for the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), described the aftermath.
“After the eruption, there was a power outage, and then it was raining with big lightning, which caused panic among residents,” he told Reuters.
Authorities subsequently raised the volcano’s status to the highest alert level, enforcing a seven-kilometre (four-mile) exclusion zone around the crater.
Fiery lava and rocks from the eruption impacted settlements within a four-kilometre (two-mile) radius, causing significant damage to homes, Wijaya reported.
Local official Heronimus Lamawuran confirmed that as of Monday afternoon, at least 10 people had died, and seven villages had been severely affected.
“We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages located around 20 kilometres (13 miles) from the crater,” he said.
Images from authorities showed the night sky over the volcano lit up with a fiery red glow. Footage also captured wooden homes engulfed in flames, with mask-wearing residents being guided to safety.
In one of the villages, volcanic ash blanketed roads and buildings.
Indonesia’s disaster agency has warned of possible flash floods and cold lava flows in the coming days, according to spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
The local government has declared a 58-day state of emergency, enabling the central government to provide assistance to the 10,000 residents affected.
Authorities are still collecting data on the number of evacuees.
The eruption also prompted the temporary closure of the nearest airport in Maumere, Muhari added.
Indonesia, positioned on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences frequent volcanic activity.
This latest eruption follows a series of eruptions earlier this year, including the May eruptions of Mount Ibu on Halmahera island and the Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi, which required evacuations.
Additionally, flash floods and lava flows from Mount Marapi in West Sumatra killed over 60 people in May.