A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted overnight, killing at least 10 people as it spewed fireballs and ash into surrounding villages, officials said Monday as they raised the alert to the highest level.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,600-foot) twin volcano on the popular tourist island of Flores, erupted shortly before midnight, prompting authorities to evacuate several villages.
Residents described their horror as the crater began shooting burning rocks into their homes.
“I was asleep when the bed suddenly shook twice, as if someone had bumped into it. Then I realised the volcano had erupted, so I ran outside,” said 32-year-old hairdresser Hermanus Mite.
“I saw flames coming out of it and I ran away immediately. There was ash and rocks everywhere. My living room also caught fire and everything inside was lost.’
Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the country’s disaster management agency (BNPB), confirmed the death toll at a news conference, adding that 10,295 people had been affected by the eruptions.
He said the number of evacuees was still being calculated.
The volcano spews lava on its slopes during an eruption, seen from Srumbung village in Magelang, Central Java, on November 4, 2024
Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano spews volcanic material in eastern Flores
An AFP journalist at the volcano said five villages had been evacuated, forcing thousands of people to seek shelter elsewhere.
Buildings near the volcano were covered in thick ash, while some wooden houses caught fire and the ground was filled with holes from flying molten rock.
The crater erupted just before midnight and again at 1:27 a.m. (17:27 GMT Sunday) and 2:48 a.m., the country’s volcanology agency said.
The volcanology agency has raised the alert level to the highest level and ordered locals and tourists not to carry out any activities within a seven-kilometer radius of the crater.
“There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki,” a press release said on Monday.
Footage has been released showing roofs of houses collapsed after being hit by volcanic rock, and locals seeking shelter in communal buildings.
Locals said the initial eruption was masked by adverse weather conditions.
“We didn’t hear any warning signs because it started with thunder and lightning,” said Petrus Muda Turan, a village chief on the Catholic-majority island, adding that a baby and a young nun were among the dead.
“After midnight, people finally started evacuating in panic. When we ran, we didn’t know what to take with us, so we took ourselves with us.”
Authorities warned of a risk of lava flows caused by rain and advised people to wear masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash.
Search and rescue teams conduct an operation after a volcanic eruption occurred on Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki in the Flores Islands, Indonesia, on November 4, 2024
Abdul, of the disaster agency, said an airport in Maumere, the second-largest city on Flores, had been temporarily closed and a station had been set up where locals could report missing relatives.
The volcano experienced multiple tremors and eruptions last week, sending ash columns 500 to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air for several days in a row.
Laki-Laki, which means “man” in Indonesian, is linked to a quieter volcano named after the Indonesian word for “woman.”
The mountain experienced several major eruptions in January, forcing authorities to evacuate at least 2,000 residents.
Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent eruptions due to its location on the Pacific Ocean’s “Ring of Fire,” an area of ​​intense volcanic and seismic activity.
Last December, an eruption at one of the country’s most active volcanoes, Marapi in West Sumatra, killed at least 24 climbers, most of them university students.
And in May, more than 60 people died after heavy rains washed volcanic material from Merapi into residential areas, sweeping away homes.
That month, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than six times, forcing thousands of people on nearby islands to evacuate.