By A powerful midnight eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki in Indonesia has killed at least 10 people and forced thousands to evacuate, as volcanic debris and hot ash ravaged several villages, officials reported Monday.
The volcano shot a thick column of brownish ash approximately 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air, with hot ash and debris setting fire to homes, including a Catholic convent. Local official Heronimus Lamawuran confirmed the deaths and said the eruption had impacted seven villages within a 2.4-mile radius of the crater.
“Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” said Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation overseeing local convents. One nun was confirmed dead and another remains missing from the Hokeng village convent.
National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said rescue teams continue searching for potential victims buried under collapsed structures. Among the confirmed casualties was a child, with all bodies discovered within 2.4 miles of the volcanic crater.
“After the eruption, there was power outage and then it was raining and big lightning which caused panic among residents,” said Hadi Wijaya, spokesperson for The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). The agency raised the volcano’s status to its highest alert level and ordered evacuation within a four-mile radius.
Local authorities declared a 58-day state of emergency to facilitate central government aid for approximately 10,000 affected residents. Officials are still tallying the number of evacuees as people relocate to villages about 13 miles from the crater. The nearby Maumere airport has temporarily suspended operations.
The eruption marks Indonesia’s second volcanic event in recent weeks, following the October 27 eruption of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra. Indonesia, home to 120 active volcanoes, sits along the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” a region of intense seismic activity where multiple tectonic plates meet.
This latest disaster follows a series of volcanic events in Indonesia this year, including May eruptions at Mount Ibu on Halmahera island and Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi, the latter forcing more than 12,000 people to evacuate. Earlier this year, flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi claimed over 60 lives.
