Indonesian rescuers dig through volcanic ash after eruption kills 9

MAUMERE, Indonesia -- Rescue workers connected Tuesday were sifting done smoldering debris and heavy mud successful hunt of survivors, a time aft a volcano connected Indonesia’s distant land of Flores erupted pinch fury, sidesplitting astatine slightest 9 group pinch its searing lava and ash.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed heavy brownish ash arsenic precocious arsenic 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into nan air, and searing lava, gravel and ash were thrown up to 7 kilometers (4.3 miles) from its crater, blanketing adjacent villages and towns pinch tons of volcanic debris and forcing residents to flee.

The National Disaster Management Agency connected Tuesday lowered nan known decease toll from an earlier study of 10, saying it had received updated accusation from rescuers that a unfortunate trapped nether tons of debris successful a collapsed location who was feared dormant was yet rescued live and was now successful captious information astatine a hospital. The agency said 63 different group were hospitalized, 31 of them pinch superior injuries.

More than 2,400 villagers streamed into makeshift emergency shelters aft Monday's powerful eruption that burned down 7 schools and 23 houses, including a convent of nuns, connected nan majority-Catholic island, said nan agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Muhari.

Smoldering debris, heavy mud and a powerfulness blackout hampered nan removal and hunt efforts, said Kensius Didimus, a section disaster agency chief,

“We’ll do everything we tin to evacuate villagers by preparing trucks and motorbikes for them to fly astatine immoderate time,” he said, adding that nan debris and lava mixed pinch rainfall formed heavy mud that destroyed nan main roads connected nan island.

Authorities warned nan thousands of group who fled nan volcano’s wrath not to return during Tuesday’s lull successful activity. But immoderate were hopeless to cheque connected livestock and possessions near behind. In respective areas, everything — from nan thinnest character branch to couches and chairs wrong homes — was caked pinch ash.

Videos released by nan National Search and Rescue Agency showed roads that were covered successful dense grey ash and houses covered by heavy grey mud, rocks and uprooted trees.

The country’s earth science agency said a bid of eruptions since Thursday had created an accumulation of hidden power owed to a blockage of magma successful nan crater, which reduced detectible seismic activity while building up pressure.

“The eruptions person eased unit that had been building nether a lava dome perched connected nan crater,” said Priatin Hadi Wijaya, who heads nan Center for Volcanology and Disaster Mitigation. “But we should expect basking ash and debris could tumble down from nan crater owed to dense rains.”

Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto has instructed his Cabinet and disaster and subject officials to coordinate nan response, said Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Pratikno, who for illustration galore Indonesians uses a azygous name.

The country’s volcano monitoring agency accrued nan volcano’s alert position to nan highest level and much than doubled nan removal area to a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius aft midnight connected Monday arsenic eruptions became much frequent.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is 1 of a brace of stratovolcanoes successful nan East Flores territory of East Nusa Tenggara state known locally arsenic nan hubby and woman mountains. “Laki laki” intends husband, while its mate is Lewotobi Perempuan, aliases woman.

About 6,500 group were evacuated successful January aft Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, spewing heavy clouds and forcing nan authorities to adjacent nan island’s Frans Seda Airport. No casualties aliases awesome harm were reported, but nan airdrome has remained closed since past owed to seismic activity.

This is Indonesia’s 2nd volcanic eruption successful arsenic galore weeks. West Sumatra province’s Mount Marapi, 1 of nan country’s astir progressive volcanos, erupted connected Oct. 27, spewing heavy columns of ash astatine slightest 3 times and blanketing adjacent villages pinch debris, but nary casualties were reported.

Lewotobi Laki Laki is 1 of nan 120 progressive volcanoes successful Indonesia, an archipelago of 280 cardinal people. The state is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it sits on nan “Ring of Fire,” a horseshoe-shaped bid of seismic responsibility lines astir nan Pacific Ocean.

___

Niniek Karmini and Andi Jatmiko successful Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.