Indonesia's Laki-laki volcano on Flores Island erupts, killing 9 people

4/11/2024 12:26

        At least nine people died after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in eastern Indonesia erupted on Sunday, spewing explosive plumes of lava and forcing authorities to evacuate several nearby villages, officials said on Monday.
        
        Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted on Sunday at 23.57 local time, belching a fiery-red column of lava, volcanic ash and incandescent rocks, Hadi Wijaya, a spokesperson for The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, said on Monday.
        
        "After the eruption, there was power outage and then it was raining and big lightning which caused panic among residents," he told Reuters, adding that the authority had raised the status of the volcano to level IV or the highest.
        
        The agency has recommended a seven-kilometre radius must be cleared.
        
        Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements around four kms from the crater, burning and damaging residents' houses.