Deadly Eruptions On Indonesia’s Flores Island: Thousands Flee As Mount Lewotobi Erupts

Indonesia's National Disaster Management Agency reported Monday that at least 10 people have lost their lives following a series of volcanic eruptions on the remote island of Flores. 

Just after midnight, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki erupted violently, sending thick brown ash up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air. Hot ash blanketed several villages, destroying homes and even a convent of Catholic nuns, according to Firman Yosef, an official at the volcano’s monitoring post.

Volcanic debris was hurled up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from the crater, covering nearby villages and towns with ash and forcing widespread evacuations. Rescuers are still searching for more victims trapped under collapsed structures, said National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari. All of the deceased, including a child, were discovered within a 4-kilometer (2.4-mile) radius of the crater.

The eruption has affected around 10,000 people across six villages in Wulanggitang District and four villages in Ile Bura District. Many residents sought refuge with relatives, while local authorities prepared schools as temporary shelters.

Indonesia's volcano monitoring agency raised the alert status for Lewotobi Laki Laki to the highest level, expanding the exclusion zone to a 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius as eruptions intensified. 

One nun in Hokeng village died while another remains missing, according to Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation, which oversees convents in the region. “Our nuns fled in terror under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” Palma said. Photos circulating on social media reveal homes buried up to their rooftops in volcanic ash and some ablaze in villages like Hokeng.

Lewotobi Laki Laki, one of two stratovolcanoes in East Flores district, is locally known as the “husband” mountain, paired with “wife” volcano Lewotobi Perempuan.

Earlier this year, around 6,500 residents were evacuated after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting in January, causing a temporary closure of Frans Seda Airport. Though no casualties or major damage were reported then, the airport remains closed due to ongoing seismic activity.

Muhammad Wafid, head of the Geology Agency at the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, explained that Monday’s eruption was distinct from January’s. A magma blockage had built up hidden pressure within the crater, reducing detectable seismic activity but intensifying the force of the eruption.

This marks Indonesia’s second volcanic eruption within two weeks; Mount Marapi in West Sumatra, one of the nation’s most active volcanoes, erupted on October 27, blanketing nearby villages in ash but fortunately causing no casualties.

Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 million people, is home to 120 active volcanoes. Its location along the "Ring of Fire" makes it especially vulnerable to earthquakes, landslides, and volcanic eruptions.