10 Dead After Volcano Erupts in Indonesia

A powerful eruption of Mt Lewotobi Laki Laki on Indonesia’s Flores Island has left at least 10 people dead as thick clouds of ash blanketed surrounding areas.

The volcano erupted just after midnight on Monday, launching dense, brownish ash up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air, resulting in widespread damage.

Local official Firman Yosef reported that multiple homes were set ablaze by the falling debris, including a convent occupied by Catholic nuns. Search and rescue teams are urgently working to locate more potential victims under the wreckage of collapsed structures.

The fatalities, which include a child, were found within a 2.4-mile radius of the volcano’s crater. The eruption has impacted an estimated 10,000 residents across six villages in the Wulanggitang district and four in the Ile Bura district.

Local authorities are mobilizing schools to serve as temporary shelters for those displaced by the disaster.

In response, the danger level has been raised to its highest setting, and the exclusion zone has been significantly expanded. Agusta Palma, head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation, confirmed the death of a nun in Hokeng village, with another nun reported missing.

Images and footage circulating on social media depict villages such as Hokeng buried under volcanic debris, with ash reaching the rooftops of homes.