- Five villages were evacuated after lava flooded the surrounding areas.
- People have been told not to undertake activities within a 7 km radius of the crater.
- Authorities advised local residents to wear masks to avoid the effects of volcanic ash.
EASTERN FLORES: At least six people were killed after a volcano erupted several times overnight in eastern Indonesia, officials said Monday, raising the alert level to the highest level in a four-level system.
Mount Ljutopi Laki Laki, located on the popular tourist island of Flores, spewed ash and lava that filled the surrounding area with fireballs, forcing authorities to evacuate several villages.
“Six people have been confirmed dead,” said Abdul Mahari, spokesman for the country’s disaster management agency. Compass TV.
The shots he got Agence France-Presse It showed villages near the volcano covered in thick ash, with fire burning in some areas.
that Agence France-Presse A journalist near the volcano said that five villages had been evacuated.
Some wooden houses caught fire, and the ground was full of holes caused by molten rocks.
The agency said that the crater erupted just before midnight and then erupted again at 1:27 am (1727 GMT Sunday) and 2:48 am.
The country’s volcanology agency raised the alert level to the highest level and asked local residents and tourists not to undertake activities within a radius of seven kilometers (4.3 miles) of the crater.
“There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity on Mount Ljutopi Laki Laki,” she said in a press release on Monday.
Ash rain
It warned of the possibility of lava floods caused by rain and asked residents to wear masks to avoid the effects of volcanic ash.
The mountain witnessed several major eruptions in January, prompting authorities at the time to raise the alert to the highest level and evacuate at least 2,000 residents.
Indonesia, a vast archipelagic country, experiences frequent eruptions due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of intense volcanic and seismic activity.
In December last year, the eruption of Mount Marapi volcano in West Sumatra, one of the most active volcanoes in the country, killed at least 24 climbers, most of them university students.
In May, more than 60 people died after heavy rains washed volcanic material from Marapi into residential areas, sweeping away homes.
That month, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than six times, forcing thousands of residents on nearby islands to evacuate.