By Jin Yu Young and Hasna Nindita
On Monday, officials reported that at least 10 individuals lost their lives due to the eruption of a volcano in eastern Indonesia, while also alerting that an increased risk of earthquakes is anticipated in the following days.
Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located in southeastern Flores island, experienced an eruption lasting over 24 minutes late Sunday, as stated by Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. The volcano erupted multiple times through the night, and by 6 a.m. Monday, a smoke column was rising to 300 meters, according to the Indonesian volcanology institute.
The eruption instigated more than a dozen earthquakes, with the government cautioning that additional quakes may affect the area.
The National Agency for Disaster Management announced on Monday that at least nine bodies have been retrieved, while another is reported to be trapped beneath the debris.
The eruption inflicted damage across seven villages, affecting around 10,000 residents, many of whom migrated to neighboring villages, as reported by the authorities. Residents were advised to maintain a distance of over seven kilometers, or 4.3 miles, from the volcanic site.
The numerous islands of Indonesia are located along the Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates interact beneath the Pacific Ocean, leading to earthquakes and volcanic activity. The country is known for having some of the most active volcanoes globally, responsible for some of the most catastrophic eruptions in recorded history. Last year, more than 20 individuals died when Mount Marapi erupted in Sumatra.
Since the end of October, Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki has erupted 43 times, as per the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources of the nation. An eruption last week sent ash soaring as high as 800 meters above the summit.
Muhammad Wafid, the head of Indonesia’s Geological Agency, stated that there has been a “notable increase” in volcanic activity at the mountain.
