Volcanic eruption kills 10 in Indonesia; sets houses aflame

Deadly eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki in Indonesia kills 10, forces evacuations, and raises alert status to highest level.

“A volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted overnight, killing at least 10 people as it spewed fireballs and ash on surrounding villages,” officials said on Monday (November 4, 2024) as they raised the alert status to its highest level.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,587-feet) twin volcano located on the popular tourist island of Flores, erupted shortly before midnight, forcing authorities to evacuate several villages. Residents described their horror when the crater started to shoot flaming rocks at their homes.

Indonesia evacuates hundreds near erupting volcano

"I was asleep when suddenly the bed shook twice, as if someone had slammed it. Then I realised the volcano had erupted, so I ran outside," said 32-year-old hairdresser Hermanus Mite. "I saw flames coming out and immediately fled. There were ashes and stones everywhere. My salon also caught fire and everything inside was lost."

Abdul Muhari, spokesman of the country's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB), confirmed the death toll at a press conference, adding that 10,295 people had been affected by the eruptions. He said the number of evacuees was still being calculated.

Footage received by AFP showed houses near the volcano covered by thick ash, with some areas on fire. An AFP journalist near the volcano said five villages were evacuated, forcing thousands of people to seek shelter elsewhere.

Some wooden homes caught fire and the ground was pockmarked with holes caused by flying molten rocks. The crater erupted just before midnight and then again at 1.27 a.m. (1727 GMT on Sunday) and 2.48 a.m., the country's volcanology agency said.