A volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia early Monday, killing at least ten people, according to officials.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted at 23:57, according to the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMG).
According to Hadi Wijaya, a PVMG representative, scorching lava and boulders impacted the settlements roughly 4km (two miles) from the crater, causing fires and destroying homes. According to local officials, the eruption has impacted seven settlements.PVMG reported that fires "occurred in residential areas due to the ejection of incandescent material" from the volcano. It has upped the volcano's alert level to the highest, saying that a 7km (four-mile) radius around the crater must be cleared."We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages around 20km (13 miles) from the crater," local administrator Heronimus Lamawuran told Reuters.
A representative for Indonesia's disaster agency warned of possible flash floods and chilly lava flows in the following days. They stated that the local administration has declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days, allowing the central government to assist 10,000 impacted residents. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, one of two notable volcanic peaks near the eastern extremity of the island of Flores, has been erupting on and off since December, prompting an official caution to stay more than 3 kilometers away.
The local economy has suffered greatly as a result of this year's protracted volcanic activity.
Hundreds of people have fled their houses and are seeking refuge in schools, while cashew nut farmers have reported that the massive amounts of ash that have fallen on the area have destroyed their crops.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a region of strong seismic activity atop various tectonic plates, with over 130 active volcanoes. Many populations live dangerously close to volcanoes to benefit from the fertile soil they produce.
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