The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, in eastern Indonesia, left at least ten dead on the night of Sunday to Monday, November 4, according to authorities, who warned of possible flows of water that would disappear under the influence of the rains. . Disaster management agency (BNPB) spokesman Abdul Muhari initially announced six deaths.
The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, which authorities say erupted several times overnight, is located on the island of Flores, popular with tourists. Ash and lava were expelled from the volcano towards neighboring towns, which were forced to evacuate.
In images obtained by Agence France-Presse (AFP), villages located near the mountain appear covered in a thick layer of ash and some places are on fire. Wooden houses caught fire and the ground was damaged by lava.
The eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano, which rises to an altitude of 1,703 meters, began shortly before midnight on Sunday. It erupted again at 1:27 a.m. local time (6:27 p.m. in Paris on Sunday) and at 2:48 a.m., the national volcanology agency announced.
This raised the alert level to its highest level and urged tourists and residents not to carry out any activities within a seven-kilometer radius around the crater. “There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity on Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki”the organization said in a news release Monday.
Lava flows
The Indonesian Volcanology Agency also warned of rain that could trigger lava flows. He also asked residents to wear masks.
The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano was the scene of several major eruptions in January, prompting authorities to raise the alert and evacuate more than 2,000 residents. Last week it had already erupted several times, projecting columns of ash into the sky up to 2,000 meters.
The vast Indonesian archipelago experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activities due to its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire. Last December, the eruption of the Merapi volcano, one of the most active in the country, in western Sumatra, killed at least 24 climbers, mostly students.
In May, more than 60 people died when heavy rains washed volcanic material into populated areas, destroying homes. A month earlier, the Ruang volcano in the northern province of Sulawesi had erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing the evacuation of thousands of residents from neighboring islands.
