Volcano eruption in Indonesia leaves 10 dead

A powerful eruption at Indonesia’s Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed lava and ash over 6,500 feet into the air just after midnight, killing at least 10 people and destroying homes, including a Catholic convent.

The National Disaster Management Agency reported that rescue teams are combing through debris for more bodies after hot ash engulfed nearby villages. Among the dead, discovered within a 2.4-mile radius of the crater, was a nun, while another remains missing, according to Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation overseeing convents on the island. “Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” Palma said.

Images released by authorities show the sky over the volcano glowing red, while video footage captures homes ablaze and residents evacuating with masks on. Hadi Wijaya, spokesperson for Indonesia's Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), noted that heavy rain and lightning followed the eruption, heightening the community’s fears.

The PVMBG has raised Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert status to the highest level, clearing a four-mile radius around the crater. Local officials confirmed at least seven villages affected and began relocating residents to safer areas about 13 miles from the volcano. The regional government declared a 58-day state of emergency, enabling federal support for roughly 10,000 affected residents, spokesperson Abdul Muhari stated. Authorities are still assessing the full scope of the evacuation.

The eruption forced the temporary closure of Maumere’s nearest airport. Indonesia, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” has 120 active volcanoes among its vast archipelago of 280 million people. This eruption marks the second volcanic event in Indonesia in recent weeks, following the Oct. 27 eruption of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, which covered nearby villages in ash but resulted in no fatalities.

Earlier this year, other Indonesian volcanoes—including Mount Ibu in Halmahera and Ruang in North Sulawesi—also erupted, causing widespread evacuations and leaving at least 60 people dead due to floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi.

[Information sourced from The Sun]