At least 10 people have died following a volcanic eruption in eastern Indonesia early Monday, according to officials.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, situated on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted at 11:57 PM local time, as reported by the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMG).
Hadi Wijaya, a spokesperson for PVMG, stated that fiery lava and rocks struck villages located approximately 4 kilometers (2 miles) from the crater, causing significant damage and destruction to residents’ homes.
Local officials indicated that the eruption has impacted seven villages in the region.
PVMG said fires had “occurred in residential areas due to the ejection of incandescent material” from the volcano.
It has raised the status of the volcano to the highest alert level, warning that a 7km (four-mile) radius from the crater must be cleared.
“We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages located around 20km (13 miles) from the crater,” local official Heronimus Lamawuran told Reuters.
Video footage provided to BBC News by eyewitnesses shows individuals covered in volcanic ash, rocks falling from the sky, and homes engulfed in flames, along with the charred remnants of the destruction.
A representative from Indonesia’s disaster agency has cautioned about the possibility of flash floods and cold lava flows in the upcoming days.
They further noted that the local government has declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days, allowing the central government to assist approximately 10,000 residents affected by the eruption.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, one of two prominent volcanic peaks on the eastern end of Flores Island, has experienced intermittent eruptions since last December, and an official warning has been issued for people to remain at least 3 kilometers away from it.
The extended volcanic activity this year has severely impacted the local economy.
Hundreds of residents have evacuated their homes and sought refuge in schools, while cashew nut farmers have expressed frustration over their crops being devastated by the significant ash fallout in the area.
Indonesia is situated on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area known for high seismic activity due to multiple tectonic plates, and it has around 130 active volcanoes.
Many communities reside in close proximity to these volcanoes to take advantage of the fertile soil they create.