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At least 10 people have been killed after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki erupted on Indonesia’s Flores Island early Monday, according to local officials.
The eruption, which began just before midnight, sent fiery lava and rocks raining down on nearby villages, damaging homes and sparking fires within a 4-kilometer radius.
The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, PVMG raised the alert for the volcano to its highest level, mandating evacuations within a 7-kilometer radius.
Local official Heronimus Lamawuran reported that evacuations began Monday morning, with residents relocated to safer areas approximately 20 kilometres from the crater.
Shared footage revealed extensive damage: homes engulfed in flames, residents covered in ash and the aftermath of burning debris.
Flames were seen rising near villages and images showed distressed residents with ash covering their clothing and faces.
The eruption has directly impacted seven villages, and a state of emergency has been declared for the next 58 days. This declaration enables the central government to provide aid for approximately 10,000 affected residents.
The Indonesian disaster agency warned of potential flash floods and cold lava flows as volcanic material mixes with rainfall, increasing the risks in the coming days.
The prolonged eruptions of Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki have disrupted local agriculture and the economy.
Many residents, including cashew farmers, have had to abandon homes and fields, as falling ash has damaged crops.
Indonesia, located along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is highly vulnerable to volcanic and seismic activity and is home to about 130 active volcanoes.
Despite the dangers, many communities reside near these volcanoes to benefit from the fertile soil the eruptions create.
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