Officials in Indonesia have issued the highest alert for a volcano that continues to unleash columns of hot clouds of ash into the sky.
As of Friday, Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano continued to release massive columns of scorching ash into the sky, following a powerful eruption that left nine dead and injured dozens more.
Recent Volcanic Activity
Since Monday's initial eruption, volcanic activity on the remote island of Flores in East Nusa Tenggara province has intensified, prompting authorities to expand the danger zone around the site on Thursday.
The latest eruption sent the tallest ash plume yet, reaching 10 kilometers (6.2 miles) into the sky, Hadi Wijaya, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, announced at a news conference.
Volcanic materials—including smoldering rocks, lava, and hot, thumb-sized gravel and ash—were ejected up to 8 kilometers (5 miles) from the crater on Friday, according to Hadi Wijaya.
Officials noted that there were no reported fatalities following the most recent eruption from the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki volcano.
Current Warnings
As of Friday, the volcano monitoring agency has raised Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki's alert status to its highest level.
Authorities expanded the danger zone to an 8-kilometer radius on the northwest and southwest slopes of the mountain on Thursday, as hot clouds of ash began "spreading in all directions," said Hadi Wijaya.
"We are still evaluating how far the (danger zone) radius should be expanded," the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation added.
Officials have urged the thousands who evacuated to stay away, with the government planning to relocate around 16,000 residents from the high-risk area.
Damage From Volcano
The eruptions have damaged schools, thousands of homes, and buildings across the predominantly Catholic island, including convents, churches, and a seminary. Authorities have cautioned the thousands who fled not to return, as the government prepares to evacuate roughly 16,000 residents from the danger zone.
Rocks falling from the volcanic eruption have created craters measuring 5 meters deep and over 10 meters wide.
Around 2,384 homes and public facilities were damaged or destroyed after tons of volcanic debris struck buildings and took out a main road linking East Flores, where the volcano is located, to the nearby Larantuka district, according to Kanesius Didimus, head of the local disaster management agency.
Rescue teams, police, and soldiers continued combing devastated areas on Friday to ensure all residents were evacuated from the danger zone, while logistical and relief supplies were distributed to nearly 6,000 displaced residents at three evacuation centers.
The National Disaster Management Agency announced that residents from the worst-affected villages will be relocated within six months. Each family awaiting new housing will receive a monthly compensation of 500,000 rupiah ($32).
This article includes reporting from the Associated Press.
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