At least 10 people were killed when a volcano in eastern Indonesia erupted, officials said on Monday, warning that there would be a greater risk of earthquakes in the coming days.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, in the southeastern part of Flores island, erupted for more than 24 minutes late on Sunday, according to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. It erupted several more times overnight, and by 6 a.m. on Monday, the smoke column rising from the volcano stood at 300 meters, according to the Indonesian volcanology institute.
The eruption triggered more than a dozen earthquakes, and the government warned that more could strike the region.
The National Agency for Disaster Management said on Monday that at least nine bodies had been recovered. Another body was known to be trapped under the rubble.
The eruption caused damage in seven villages, home to 10,000 people, many of whom fled to other villages, according to the government. The authorities warned residents to stay more than seven kilometers, or 4.3 miles, from the volcano.
Rescuers searched for victims on Monday in Klatanlo, one of several villages that were damaged by the volcano. Credit…Arnold Welianto/Agence France-Presse — Getty Images
Indonesia’s thousands of islands are situated along the so-called Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates clash under the surface of the Pacific Ocean, causing earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. The nation’s volcanoes are some of the most active in the world and have caused some of the deadliest eruptions in history. More than 20 people were killed last year when Mount Marapi erupted on Sumatra.
Since late October, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted 43 times, according to the nation’s Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources. Last week, an eruption launched ash as high as 800 meters above the peak.
Muhammad Wafid, the head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, said in a statement that there had been a “significant increase” of volcanic activity at the mountain.
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