Indonesian authorities plan to evacuate at least 16,000 residents from villages surrounding the active Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, following a series of eruptions that resulted in the deaths of nine people, injured dozens, and damaged thousands of homes, an official announced today.
The volcano, located on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Sunday night and again on Monday night. Authorities have raised the area’s alert level to its highest due to volcanic activity.
Efforts to urgently evacuate residents are hindered by a thick layer of volcanic ash on some roads, an official noted.
So far, nearly 2,500 of the 16,000-plus residents from eight villages in the area have been evacuated from their homes, a spokesperson for the local authorities in East Flores, Hieronymus Lamakulen, informed Reuters.
The goal is for residents to leave and not return “until it is safe for them,” he explained.
They have been moved to three school buildings and temporary shelters in communities at least 20 kilometres from the crater, he added.
“Additional trucks, army personnel, and police officers” have been deployed to assist with the operation, he further mentioned.
Authorities had initially reported 10 fatalities yesterday but revised the toll down to nine today, with 63 injured. Approximately 2,384 homes and 25 school buildings have sustained damage.
Local authorities have declared a state of emergency for a further 58 days, allowing the central government to provide assistance to the residents.
Four small airports on Flores Island were closed due to the volcanic eruption.
The vast Indonesian archipelago frequently experiences significant volcanic and seismic activity due to its geographical position atop the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean, an area where tectonic plates intersect.
Source: ANA-MPA-AFP-Reuters [translated]
Also read: VIDEO: Volcanic Eruptions in eastern Indonesia – at least 9 dead
