At least six people have died following a series of volcanic eruptions on Indonesia’s remote island of Flores, according to the National Disaster Management Agency. The eruptions, which began last week, intensified just after midnight on Monday at Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki, sending thick brownish ash 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air. The hot ash fell over nearby villages, setting fire to several buildings, including a Catholic convent.
The death toll was revised from an initial report of nine casualties after updated information from local authorities, but officials warn that the number could rise as more details emerge. Local media reported that more residents may still be trapped in collapsed buildings.
The country’s volcano monitoring agency raised Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki’s alert status to its highest level on Monday, doubling the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius. Officials said that eruptions had become increasingly frequent, prompting further evacuations.
Approximately 10,000 residents have been affected across multiple villages in Wulanggitang District, including Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru, and Boru Kedang. In the Ile Bura District, the villages of Dulipali, Nobo, Nurabelen, and Riang Rita were impacted, as well as Konga, Kobasoma, Bokang Wolomatang, and Watowara villages in Titehena District.
Residents reported a widespread blanket of volcanic debris covering homes, forcing thousands to flee as volcanic material was ejected up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the crater. In Hokeng, one nun died, and another remains missing, according to Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation, which oversees Catholic convents on the predominantly Catholic island. “Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” Palma said.
Images circulating on social media showed houses buried under ash in villages like Hokeng, where the eruptions sparked fires.
This eruption marks Indonesia’s second major volcanic event in as many weeks. Mount Marapi, one of Indonesia’s most active volcanoes, erupted on October 27 in West Sumatra, covering nearby villages in ash but causing no reported casualties.