At least 10 people died after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in eastern Indonesia erupted around midnight Sunday, spewing explosive columns of lava and forcing authorities to evacuate several nearby villages, officials said Monday. .
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on the island of Flores, erupted on Sunday at 11:57 p.m. (3:57 p.m. GMT), spewing a column of fiery red lava, volcanic ash and burning rocks, said Hadi Wijaya, spokesman for the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards. Mitigation (PVMBG) said on Monday.
“After the eruption, there was a power outage and then it rained and there was huge lightning that caused panic among residents,” he told Reuters, adding that authorities had raised the status of the volcano to the highest alert level.
The agency said a seven-kilometer (four-mile) radius of the crater must be cleaned.
Burning lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements about four kilometers (two miles) from the crater, burning and damaging residents' homes, Hadi said.
As of Monday afternoon, at least 10 people had died, local official Heronimus Lamawuran said, adding that the eruption had affected seven villages.
“We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages located about 20 kilometers (13 miles) from the crater,” he said.
Images shared by authorities showed the night sky above the volcano turning red due to the eruption, while images showed some wooden houses on fire and residents wearing masks being evacuated. Thick volcanic ash covered roads and buildings in one of the villages, more images show.
Indonesia's disaster agency warned of possible flash floods and cold lava flows in the coming days, agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
The local government has declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days, Abdul said, meaning the central government could help provide aid to the 10,000 affected residents. Authorities are still collecting data on the number of evacuees.
The nearest airport, located in the town of Maumere, has been temporarily closed, he added.
Indonesia lies on the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.
This eruption follows a series of eruptions. In May, a volcano on Halmahera Island, Mount Ibu, led to the evacuation of seven villages.
North Sulawesi's Ruang volcano also erupted in May, forcing authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people.
In May, flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province killed more than 60 people.
