At least nine people lost their lives overnight from Sunday to Monday due to successive eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki in eastern Indonesia, authorities announced today, ordering residents of nearby villages to urgently evacuate their homes.
“According to reports from local authorities, six deaths have been confirmed,” said Abdul Muhari, spokesperson for the Indonesian disaster management agency (BNPB), initially speaking to the Kompas television network.
Later, Jeronimus Lamauran, an official in the East Flores region, reported at least nine dead, clarifying that the volcanic eruptions, which emitted lava, ash, burning rocks, and toxic gases from the crater, have so far affected seven villages.
The Lewotobi Lakilaki volcano, located on the island of Flores, a popular destination for foreign tourists, erupted repeatedly throughout the night. Footage obtained by Agence France-Presse showed villages near the volcano blanketed in thick layers of volcanic ash and, in some areas, engulfed in flames.
Indonesia’s national volcanology agency raised the alert level in the area to maximum, urging residents and tourists to refrain from any activities within at least a seven-kilometre radius around the crater.
There has been a “significant increase in volcanic activity” at Mount Lewotobi Lakilaki, the agency explained in a warning bulletin released today.
The activity intensified yesterday at 23:57 local time (17:57 ESST).
Several volcanic eruptions were recorded there in January, forcing authorities at that time to declare an emergency and evacuate over 2,000 residents.
The vast Indonesian archipelago frequently experiences significant volcanic and seismic activity due to its location on the “Ring of Fire” in the Pacific Ocean.
This year, volcanic activity has been in a phase of escalation across various regions of Indonesia.
On 11 May, sudden floods and cold lava landslides from Mount Marapi on Sumatra island in western Indonesia claimed the lives of over 60 people and forced authorities to evacuate thousands from their homes.
Also read: Volcanic eruption in Indonesia: 16,000 people to be evacuated
