Volcano eruption kills 10 people and destroys Catholic convent in Indonesia

INDEPENDENT: At least 10 people have died after a volcano erupted several times overnight in eastern Indonesia, the country’s second major volcanic eruption in two weeks.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, a twin volcano located on the popular tourist island of Flores, spewed thick brown ash as high as 2km (6,500 feet) into the air overnight on Sunday, with hot ash landing on several nearby villages.

The eruption started just minutes before midnight as the crater began to shoot flaming rocks at houses, prompting authorities to evacuate nearby villages.

A number of homes were burned down, as well as a convent of Catholic nuns, said Firman Yosef, an official at the Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki monitoring post.

“I saw flames coming out and immediately fled. There were ashes and stones everywhere. My salon also caught fire and everything inside was lost,” 32-year-old hairdresser Hermanus Mite told the AFP news agency.

File image: Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki spews volcanic materials from its crater during an eruption in East Flores, Indonesia in January this year (AP)

The Indonesian volcano monitoring agency said at least 10,000 people have been affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang District, across the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.

Volcanic material was thrown up to 6km (3.7 miles) from the mountain’s crater.

The volcano erupted several times, leading officials to increase its alert status to the highest level and doubling the exclusion zone to a 7km (4.3 mile) radius.

Damaged houses following the eruption of the Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia (EPA)

One of the victims was a nun in Hokeng village and another from the convent was missing.

“Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” said Agusta Palma, the head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation that oversees convents on the majority-Catholic island.

Photos and videos on social media showed houses damaged and covered in ash as rescuers carried away body bags containing dead people.

Members of a rescue team search for victims at Klatanlo village, in East Flores Regency, East Nusa Tenggara (AFP via Getty Images)

The Disaster Management Agency said they were still assessing the extent of casualties and damage, as local media reports said more people were buried in collapsed houses.

The death toll was initially believed to be nine but the agency lowered it to six. More bodies were found later, including a child.

Indonesia, situated along the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” is home to 120 active volcanoes and is prone to frequent seismic and volcanic activity.

In October 2024, Mount Marapi in West Sumatra erupted, spewing thick ash columns and blanketing nearby villages, though no casualties were reported.

In May, at least 37 people were killed after heavy rains triggered flash flooding that caused cold lava to flow down from Mount Marapi and destroy several nearby homes. Before that, Mount Ruang erupted in April, leading to the evacuation of thousands and raising concerns about potential tsunamis.