In Indonesia, an eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano kills at least ten people

The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, in eastern Indonesia, left at least ten dead on the night of Sunday to Monday, November 4, according to the authorities, who warned of potential flows of washes away under the influence of rain. The spokesperson for the disaster management agency (BNPB), Abdul Muhari, initially announced six deaths.

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

In images obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP), villages located near the mountain appear covered in a thick layer of ash and some places are in flames. Wooden houses caught fire and the ground was damaged by lava.

The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, which rises to an altitude of 1,703 meters, began shortly before midnight on Sunday. It erupted again at 1:27 a.m. local time (6:27 p.m. in Paris, Sunday), and at 2:48 a.m., the national volcanology agency announced.

This raised the alert level to its highest level and urged tourists and residents not to engage in any activity within a radius of seven kilometers around the crater. “There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity on Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki”said the organization in a press release on Monday.

Lava flows

The Indonesian Volcanology Agency also warned of rain which could cause lava flows. She also asked 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.

The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Last December, the eruption of the Merapi volcano, one of the most active in the country, in west Sumatra, killed at least 24 climbers, mainly students.

In May, more than 60 people died when heavy rains washed volcanic material into populated areas, destroying homes. A month earlier, the Ruang volcano in northern Sulawesi province had erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing thousands of residents on neighboring islands to evacuate.