At least 10 dead as Indonesia’s Laki-Laki volcano erupts, burns homes 

At least 10 people have died after a series of volcanic eruptions took place in eastern Indonesia, spewing fireballs and ash on surrounding villages and burning down several houses.

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a 1,703-metre (5,587-foot) twin volcano located on the popular tourist island of Flores, took place just after midnight on Monday, forcing authorities to evacuate several villages.

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

The country’s volcanology agency increased the volcano’s alert status to the highest level and more than doubled the exclusion zone to a 7km (4.3-mile) radius as eruptions became more frequent.

The agency said at least 10,000 people were affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang district in the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.

The eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki took place just after midnight on Monday [Arnold Welianto/AFP]

Residents described their horror when the crater started to shoot flaming rocks at their homes.

“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,” hairdresser Hermanus Mite told the AFP news agency.

“I saw flames coming out and immediately fled. There were ashes and stones everywhere. My salon also caught fire and everything inside was lost,” the 32-year-old added.

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 volcanology agency warned there was a potential for rain-induced lava floods and told locals to wear masks to protect against volcanic ash.

A collapsed building in Klatanlo village on Flores Island [Arnold Welianto/AFP]

There were eruptions at the volcano last week, the biggest on Thursday, sending a column of ash 2,000 metres (6,500 feet) into the sky.

The mountain had several major eruptions in January, prompting authorities to evacuate at least 2,000 residents.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago nation, experiences frequent eruptions due to its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an area of intense volcanic and seismic activity.

In December last year, an eruption at one of the country’s most active volcanoes, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, killed at least 24 climbers, most of them university students.

And in May, more than 60 people died after heavy rains washed volcanic material from Marapi into residential areas, sweeping away homes. That month, Mount Ruang in North Sulawesi province erupted more than half a dozen times, forcing thousands of residents of nearby islands to evacuate.