Indonesia | Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano erupts, killing 10 people
Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements around four km (two miles) from the crater, damaging several houses
At least 10 people were killed after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in eastern Indonesia erupted just before midnight on Sunday, spewing explosive plumes of lava and forcing authorities to evacuate several nearby villages, according to a Reuters report.
“Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores Island, erupted on Sunday at 11.57 p.m. (1557 GMT), belching a fiery-red column of lava, volcanic ash and blazing rocks," Hadi Wijaya, a spokesperson for The Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), said on Monday.
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“After the eruption, there was power outage and then it was raining and big lightning which caused panic among residents,” he told Reuters, adding that the authority had raised the status of the volcano to the highest alert level.
The agency said a seven-kilometre (four miles) radius from the crater must be cleared. Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements around four km (two miles) from the crater, damaging several houses, Hadi said.
As of Monday afternoon at least 10 people had died, said local official Heronimus Lamawuran, adding the eruption had affected seven villages.
“We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages located around 20 km (13 miles) from the crater,” he said.
At least 10,000 people were affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang district in the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.
Also read: Indonesia: More bodies found after Marapi eruption; confirmed toll 23
There were eruptions at the volcano last week, the biggest on Thursday, sending a column of ash 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the sky.
The mountain had several major eruptions in January this year, prompting authorities to evacuate at least 2,000 residents. Later, in May, more than 60 people died after heavy rains washed volcanic material from Marapi into residential areas, sweeping away homes.
