At least ten dead in volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia – rts.ch

The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, located on the island of Flores, popular with tourists, erupted several times during the night. Ash and lava were expelled from the volcano towards neighboring villages, which were forced to evacuate.

Villages near the mountain have been covered in a thick layer of ash and some places are on fire. Wooden houses caught fire and the ground was damaged by lava.

Highest alert level

The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, which peaks at 1,703 meters above sea level, began shortly before midnight on Sunday. It erupted again at 1:27 a.m. local time and 2:48 a.m., the national volcanology agency said.

This raised the alert level to its highest level. She urged tourists and locals not to engage in any activities within a seven-kilometer radius of the crater. And she warned of rain that could cause lava flows, further asking residents to wear masks.

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.

response