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CatastropheIndonesia

Indonesia: Rescuers comb debris after deadly eruption

November 5, 2024

Aid workers on the island of Flores were still searching for survivors a day after a series of volcanic activity killed at least nine people. This is the second time Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki has erupted this year.

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Damage from the volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Flores
Authorities hoped to evacuate all of the island's 16,000 residents as the alert level for the volcano remained highImage: AP Photo/picture alliance

Rescue workers on the remote Indonesian island of Flores were searching for survivors on Tuesday, a day after a volcanic eruption covered the island in ash, debris, and thick mud.

At least nine people were killed after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air, covering nearby villages and towns and forcing residents to flee.

Some 61 people have so far been brought to local hospitals, with at least 31 victims in serious condition.

Smoldering debris and mudslides caused by the ash mixing with rain had caused a power blackout and was hampering relief efforts, said Kensius Didimus, a local disaster agency chief.

Alert level remains high

About 2,400 villagers were cramped onto the island's emergency shelters on Tuesday, as officials urged residents not to return to their homes in case the volcano erupted again.

However, many residents worried about their livestock still made the dangerous journey home.

Priatin Hadi Wijaya, who heads Indonesia's Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation warned that "hot ash and debris could tumble down from the crater due to heavy rains" even after the eruptions stop.

This is the second time  Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki has erupted this year. In January, however, all evacuees were able to get to safety in time.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the semi-circle of seismic fault lines in the Pacific Ocean known as the "Ring of Fire."

es/sms (AP, dpa)