Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency said on Monday at least 10 people had died as a series of volcanic eruptions spread across the remote island of Flores.
An eruption at Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki just after midnight on Monday kicked thick, brown ash up to 2,000 meters into the air and hot ash engulfed a nearby village, burning several houses, including a Catholic nunnery, said Firman Yosef, an official at the Mount Lewotobi observatory. Laki Laki.
The rescuers were still searching for other bodies buried under the collapsed houses, said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the National Disaster Management Agency. Muhari said all the bodies, including the child's, were found four kilometers from the pit.
Authorities also raised the danger level and expanded the danger zone on Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki on Monday, following a series of eruptions that began last week.
The country's volcano monitoring center raised the volcano's alert level to the highest level and doubled the exclusion zone to seven kilometers at midnight on Monday as the eruption intensified.
More than 10,000 were affected in nearby areas
Volcanic material was thrown six kilometers from its crater, according to Josef, covering nearby towns and villages with volcanic debris and forcing residents to flee.
A monk from the village of Hokeng died and another disappeared, said Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation, which oversees monasteries on the predominantly Catholic island.
“Our monks came out in shock because of the volcanic ash rain in the dark,” said Palma.
Photos and videos shared on social media showed tons of volcanic debris covering houses up to their roofs in villages like Hokeng, where hot volcanic material is burning houses.
The center said at least 10,000 people were affected by the eruption of the volcano in Wulanggitang district, in the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.
In Ile Bura district, four villages were affected, namely Dulipali Village, Nobo, Nurabelen and Riang Rita, while in Titehena district it also affected four villages, namely Konga Village, Kobasoma, Bokang Wolomatang and Watowara.
Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the volcanoes in East Flores region of East Nusa Tenggara province known locally as husband – “Laki laki” means husband and wife mountains. Its counterpart is Lewotobi Perempuan, or woman.
About 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted, spewing black clouds and forcing the government to close Frans Seda Airport. No injuries or major damage were reported, but the airport has been closed since then due to earthquake activity.
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In a video conference on Monday, Muhammad Wafid, the head of the Geology Agency in the Ministry of Energy and Minerals, said that there was a different situation for the January eruption compared to Monday's eruption, due to the closure of the magma in the crater, which reduced it. visible seismic activity while increasing pressure.
“The explosions that have occurred since Friday were caused by the accumulation of hidden forces,” said Wafid.
It is the second volcanic eruption in Indonesia in as many weeks. West Sumatra's Mount Marapi, one of the country's most active volcanoes, erupted on October 27, spewing thick ash at least three times and blanketing nearby villages with debris, but no casualties.
The Marapi eruption late last year left more than 20 people dead.
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