At least 10 people, including a child, died after Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia.
According to Sky News, the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMG) said that the Mt. Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores Island in the East Nusa Tenggara province erupted at 23:57 local time.
As per PVMG spokesperson Hadi Wijaya, the fiery lava and rocks flowed about 4 km (two miles) from the crater to the village, burning and damaging houses.
The eruption after midnight spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2,000 m (6,500 ft) into the sky.
Moreover, over 10,000 people in the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru, and Boru Kedang of the Wulanggitang district have been affected by the eruption.
Hairdresser Hermanus Mite told the AFP news agency, “I was asleep when suddenly the bed shook twice as if someone had slammed it. Then I realized the volcano had erupted, so I ran outside."
"I saw flames coming out and immediately fled. There were ashes and stones everywhere. My salon also caught fire, and everything inside was lost," he added.
The disaster agency spokesperson has warned people of the flash floods and cold lava flows in the coming days.
Furthermore, the local government has declared a state of emergency for the next 58 days and is planning to use schools as temporary shelters for the affected residents.
