At least 10 people died after Lewotobi volcano erupted

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At least 10 people died after Lewotobi volcano erupted

Footage shows houses burned and damaged by hail

EPA palm trees and telephone wires are seen under an orange sky as Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupts — Footage shows houses burned and damaged by hail

At least 10 people were killed after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia early Monday, officials said.

According to the Indonesian Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMG), Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province, erupted at 11:57 p.m. local time.

Hadi Wijaya, a PVMG spokesman, said lava and fiery rocks hit villages about 4km from the crater, burning and damaging people’s homes.

According to local officials, the eruption affected seven villages.

PVMG said fires “occurred in residential areas due to incandescent material ejected” from the volcano.

It raised the volcano’s status to the highest alert level, warning that a 7km (four mile) radius from the crater must be cleared.

“We started evacuating people this morning to other villages located about 20 kilometers from the crater,” local official Heronimus Lamawuran told Reuters.

Flames were seen in a nearby settlement in footage shared with the BBC

DOCUMENT High flames were seen behind fences and gates in a village near the volcano — Flames were seen in a nearby settlement in footage shared with the BBC

Video footage shared with BBC News by witnesses showed people covered in volcanic ash, hail and houses on fire, as well as the scorched aftermath of the disruption.

Some residents were covered in ash in footage seen by the BBC

DOCUMENTARY Ash covers the T-shirt of a distressed-looking man, while pieces of volcanic ash are scattered across his face in a screenshot from the video — Some residents were covered in ash in footage seen by the BBC

A spokesman for Indonesia’s disaster agency warned of the risk of flash floods and cold lava flows in the coming days.

They added that local authorities have declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days, meaning the central government can help provide aid to 10,000 affected residents.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki – one of two prominent volcanic peaks at the eastern tip of Flores island – has been erupting continuously since December last year and there has been an official warning asking people to stay more than 3 km away from it.

the prolonged volcanic activity This year has had a negative impact on the local economy.

Hundreds of people fled their homes and took shelter in schools, while cashew farmers complained that their crops had been ruined by the huge amount of ash falling on the surrounding area.

Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an area of high seismic activity across many tectonic plates and has about 130 active volcanoes.

Many communities live dangerously close to volcanoes to cultivate the fertile land they provide.