Volcanic eruption kills ten on Indonesian island of Flores

The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted several times during the night from Sunday to Monday, causing damage and evacuations in neighboring villages.

The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, on the island of Flores in eastern Indonesia, left at least ten dead on the night of Sunday November 3 to Monday November 4, according to a spokesperson for the disaster management agency in the country. Authorities have warned of potential lava flows due to rain.

The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located on an island popular with tourists and which rises to an altitude of 1,703 meters, began shortly before midnight on Sunday, and it erupted several times during the night, d 'after the authorities.

Ash and lava were expelled towards neighboring villages, which were forced to carry out evacuations. In images obtained by AFP, villages located near the mountain appear covered in a thick layer of ash. Wooden houses caught fire and the ground was damaged by lava.

The national volcanology agency raised the alert level to its highest level and urged tourists and residents not to engage in any activities within a seven-kilometer radius around the crater.

Maumere airport, located about 60 km from the volcano, was temporarily closed and an office was opened for residents to report missing people.

The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano was the scene of several major eruptions in January, leading authorities to sound the alert and evacuate more than 2,000 residents.

Last week, it had already erupted several times, projecting columns of ash into the sky up to 2,000 meters. The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire.