At least ten people have died after the volcano erupted on Mount Levotobi Laki-laki in eastern Indonesia. The eruption occurred close to midnight on Sunday, sending explosive plumes of lava and forcing authorities to evacuate several surrounding villages.
The volcano at Mount Levotobi Laki-laki, located on the island of Flores, erupted at 11:57 p.m. local time, spewing lava, volcanic ash and volcanic rock, said Hadi Wijaya, spokesman for the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.
"After the explosion, there was a power outage and then it rained and there were lightning discharges that caused panic among residents," he told Reuters, adding that authorities have raised the alert for the danger from the volcano to the highest level.
The Center for Volcanology said that an area of 7 kilometers from the crater should be cleared.
Hadi said lava and volcanic rocks hit settlements about 4 kilometers from the crater, burning residents' homes.
Authorities in Indonesia said at least seven villages were affected by the volcano's eruption.
"We have started the evacuation of residents in the morning in other villages that are located about 20 kilometers away from the crater," he said.
Indonesia's disaster agency said flooding was possible. The local government has declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days which means that the government can help up to 10,000 affected residents.
Indonesia is located on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity and several tectonic plates.
The latest eruption follows a series of volcanic eruptions. In May, a volcano on Halmehera Island, on Mount Ibu, forced the evacuation of seven villages. The volcano in Sulawesi also erupted in May, forcing 12,000 people to evacuate. Flash floods and cold lava from Sumatra's Mount Marapi in May killed more than 60 people.
