Volcanic eruption burns houses in Indonesia, killing at least 6 people

MAUMERE, Indonesia -- Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency said Monday that astatine slightest six group person died arsenic a bid of volcanic eruptions widens connected nan distant land of Flores.

The eruption astatine Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki conscionable aft midnight connected Monday spewed heavy brownish ash arsenic precocious arsenic 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into nan aerial and basking ashes deed a adjacent village, burning down respective houses including a convent of Catholic nuns, said Firman Yosef, an charismatic astatine nan Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring post.

The Disaster Management Agency lowered nan known decease toll from an earlier study of nine, saying it had received updated accusation from section authorities. It said that accusation was still being collected astir nan grade of casualties and damage, arsenic section media reports said much group were buried successful collapsed houses.

Authorities besides raised nan threat level and widened nan threat area for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki connected Monday, pursuing a bid of eruptions that began past week.

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 7-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius aft midnight connected Monday arsenic eruptions became much frequent.

The agency said astatine slightest 10,000 group person been affected by nan eruption successful Wulanggitang District, successful nan six adjacent villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.

In Ile Bura District, 4 villages were affected, namely Dulipali Village, Nobo, Nurabelen and Riang Rita, while successful Titehena District it affected 4 villages, namely Konga Village, Kobasoma, Bokang Wolomatang and Watowara.

He said volcanic worldly was thrown up to 6 kilometers (3.7 miles) from its crater, blanketeing adjacent villages and towns pinch tons of volcanic debris and forcing residents to flee.

A nun successful Hokeng colony died and different was missing, said Agusta Palma, nan caput of nan Saint Gabriel Foundation that oversees convents connected nan majority-Catholic island.

“Our nuns ran retired successful panic nether a rainfall of volcanic ash successful nan darkness,” Palma said.

Photos and videos circulated connected societal media showed tons of volcanic debris covering houses up to their rooftops successful villages for illustration Hokeng, wherever basking volcanic worldly group occurrence to houses.

It’s 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. ___ Associated Press writers Niniek Karmini and Edna Tarigan contributed to this report.