Indonesia volcano belches colossal ash tower

East Flores, Indonesia: A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted more than half a dozen times on Thursday, catapulting a colossal ash tower five miles i...

East Flores, Indonesia: A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted more than half a dozen times on Thursday, catapulting a colossal ash tower five miles into the sky against a backdrop of lightning as nearby residents fled in panic.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted on Monday and Tuesday, killing nine people and forcing the relocation of residents from a 7-kilometre (4.3-mile) exclusion zone.

The country's volcanology agency reported seven eruptions on Thursday, the biggest of which belched an ash tower five miles (eight kilometres) high, according to an observation post.

Some said it was the biggest eruption they had ever seen from Lewotobi Laki-Laki.

"This is the first time I saw this big eruption since I've been living in Lewolaga village," said Anastasia Adriyani, 41, who lives outside the exclusion zone.