A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted again on Thursday, sending a huge column of ash into the sky, two days after spewing flaming rocks on nearby villages, killing nine people.
The country's volcanology agency reported seven eruptions on Thursday, throwing ash nearly 8 kilometers into the sky, according to an observation post.
The alert level was raised to the highest level by authorities, but no damage was immediately reported in nearby villages following Thursday's new eruptions.
Residents and schoolchildren had also been seen fleeing their homes, according to an AFP journalist.
Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703 meter high volcano located on the tourist island of Flores, spewed flaming rocks on inhabited areas during the night from Monday to Tuesday, which set wooden houses on fire.
Initially, the authorities reported ten deaths before revising this figure downwards. Several dozen people were injured.
It erupted again on Tuesday, throwing ash a kilometer into the sky
Local authorities established a security perimeter with a radius of seven kilometers around the crater and asked residents and tourists not to approach.
More than 10,000 people were affected by these eruptions, according to authorities.
Laki-Laki, which means « homme » in Indonesian, is twinned with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word meaning « femme ».
The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the “Pacific Ring of Fire”.
