The Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in Eastern Indonesia erupted late in the evening on Sunday, November 3, resulting in the death of at least ten individuals. The eruption led authorities to begin evacuating over 16,000 locals from nearby villages.
The eruption spewed a thick plume of ash, approximately 6,500 feet high, with volcanic materials reaching a distance of nearly 3.7 miles from the volcano’s mouth. The eruption also caused power outages and was accompanied by heavy rain and flashes of lightning, sparking fear among the local populace.
Sister Nikolin Padjo, a Catholic nun serving in Hokeng village, was among the victims. According to Agusta Palma, the head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation that supervises convents on the island, another nun is yet to be found. The eruption caused damage to the San Domingo Hokeng Middle Seminary and injured several seminarians.
By Tuesday morning, approximately 2,472 of the 16,086 residents from eight affected villages had been evacuated. The evacuation efforts were slowed due to the thick layer of volcanic ash on the roads. The disaster damaged nearly 2,384 homes and at least 25 schools in the affected region.
Local official Heronimus Lamawuran confirmed seven villages were impacted by the eruption. The local government declared a 58-day state of emergency, allowing the central government to provide aid to the residents affected by the disaster.
The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation elevated the volcano’s alert status to the highest level and set up a four-mile exclusion zone around the volcano’s mouth. Four minor airports on Flores Island, including the nearest airport in Maumere, halted their operations due to safety concerns.
The nation’s geology agency attributed the eruption to the pressure increase caused by a magma blockage in the volcano’s crater.
Indonesia witnessed its second volcanic event in a fortnight with this eruption, following the October 27 eruption of Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province. Indonesia, which is home to 120 active volcanoes, is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a region known for high seismic activity due to the movement of several tectonic plates.
Earlier this year, the Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island and the Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi also erupted, prompting large-scale evacuations. In May, flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi resulted in more than 60 deaths.