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.
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
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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.
Indonesia: Deadly eruption of Mount Lewotobi volcano
Several people died, and many buildings collapsed, when Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on the Indonesian island of Flores erupted in the middle of the night. Rescue workers are still searching for survivors.
Image: BASARNAS - National Search and Rescue Agency/Andalou/picture alliance
A smoking monster
Smoke continued to billow from Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki after it erupted in the night. Local media reported that ash, rock and glowing lava had rained down from the sky. Locals were surprised in their sleep, many of them fleeing their homes in panic. Others were buried under the rubble.
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP
"There may be more casualties"
Rescue workers recovered a body in the village of Klatanlo. Avi Manggota Hallan, head of emergency response for East Flores, said most of the victims died when their burning houses collapsed. He said rescue teams were searching for potential victims in the rubble. "We are still conducting assessments, and there may be more casualties."
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP/Getty Images
On highest alert level
"After the eruption, there was power outage and then it was raining and big lightning caused panic among residents," said a spokesperson for The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG). Another local official said that several villages had been evacuated. The local government declared a state of emergency until the end of the year.
Image: PVMBG/AP/picture alliance
Total destruction
The village of Klatanlo is located only four kilometers (2.5 miles) from the volcano and was particularly badly hit. The Kompas media outlet said there were dozens of injured people and several burning houses. The Disaster Management Agency said more than 10,000 people had been affected by the eruption.
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP
Active since 2023
Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is 1,584 meters (5,197 feet) high and has been active since the end of 2023 again. In recent months, it has spewed hot gases, lava and ash into the air several times. In January 2024, when this picture was taken, the authorities requested more than 2,000 people to leave their homes. Many were taken to evacuation centers.
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP/Getty Images
"Like fireworks"
"We heard thunder with tremors and winds that brought burning stones," said Aril Witin, who lives near the volcano. "It sounded like fireworks at first, then like heavy rain. We took shelter under our mattresses."
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP/Getty Images
Pink smoke
In the past week, there were several quakes and smaller eruptions. Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki is the twin of Lewotobi Perempuan, around two kilometers away. The archipelagic state of Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most seismically and volcanically active zone on Earth.
Image: ARNOLD WELIANTO/AFP/Getty Images
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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."
