Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki mountain erupted in eastern Indonesia on Sunday, killing at least nine people, launching large plumes of volcano, and forcing authorities to leave some near villages, according to officials.
” After the eruption, there was a power outage, followed by heavy rain and intense lightning, which caused panic among residents”, said Hadi Wijaya, a spokesperson for the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation ( PVMBG), adding that authorities had raised the volcano’s status to Level IV, the highest alert level, as reported by Reuters news agency.
Hadi claimed that the nearest settlements were hit by fiery lava and rocks about four kilometers ( two miles ) away from the crater, igniting and burning the residents ‘ homes.
The agency recommended a seven-kilometre ( 4.35 miles ) radius to be cleared.
” We have started evacuating residents since this morning to other villages located around 20 kms ( 13 miles ) from the crater”, Hadi said.
According to Heronimus Lamawuran, a native established in the East Flores region, at least nine people had died and the nearby villages were covered in thick volcanic dust by Monday morning.
Indonesia is located near the” Pacific Ring of Fire,” a zone with extreme seismic task where several tectonic plates converge.
The explosion is one of several in Indonesia that have occurred due to volcanic eruptions. In May, Mount Ibu on the distant island of Halmahera erupted, prompting emergency from seven adjacent villages.
More than 60 people were killed when flash floods and icy volcano flows from Mount Marapi in West Sumatra state swept through some local regions on May 11 and caused more than 60 to become trapped there.
