Deaths caused by Levotobi on Flores

A volcanic eruption on the Indonesian island of Flores, also popular with tourists, has killed at least ten people.

The eruption of the Levoto Bilaki-Laki volcano occurred in the middle of the night and surprised many people in their sleep. Avi Manggota Hallan, head of the local emergency response team, told the German news agency that most of the victims died when burning houses collapsed.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki breathes fire and ash.Image: trapezoid

Hours after the disaster, rescue workers were still searching for victims beneath the rubble. Harlan stressed: “Work is still ongoing and more people may die.” Videos circulating on the Internet showed emergency services removing completely charred bodies.

“Like fireworks”

Many roads and trees in the area are covered in thick layers of ash and volcanic debris. In the background, smoke still rises from Levotobilakiraki. Compass reported that dozens of people were injured and many houses burned. Weeping residents told local television of an attack by red-hot rocks.

“We heard thunder accompanied by shaking, and the wind brought burning stones,” said Aril Witin, who lives near the volcano. “At first it sounded like fireworks, then like heavy rain. We were Seeking shelter under a mattress.” One roommate stepped on a hot stone while fleeing in the dark and suffered severe burns to her feet. There was panic in many places.

Flores, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, is popular with tourists from around the world for its beautiful scenery and famous diving spots. For many, this island in East Nusa Tenggara is also the gateway to Rinca and Komodo islands in the west, home to the original Komodo dragons – the largest species still alive today. lizard.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki, 1,584 meters above sea level, has been active again since late 2023. It has also spewed hot gas and ash into the air on several occasions over the past few months. It is a twin volcano of the 1,703-meter-tall Lewotobi Perempuan volcano. The two peaks are about two kilometers apart.

Landing in the Ring of Fire

Indonesia has approximately 17,000 islands and nearly 130 active volcanoes. The world's largest island nation is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active region on Earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently in this zone.

The volcano ejected volcanic material up to six kilometers away. The worst-affected village of Klatanlo is only about five kilometers from the top of the mountain. A total of seven villages were affected, according to Compass. Authorities declared the volcano to be at its highest alert level and ordered the evacuation of surrounding towns. The local government declared a state of emergency in the region until the end of the year.

Meanwhile, the search for the missing persons continues. “The number of victims is still being checked,” said Supriyanto Ridwan, head of the search and rescue office in Maumere, Flores' largest city. “Our teams are suspecting that someone was trapped under the collapsed building. Local operations continue.”

Afraid of cold lava flows

However, the rugged terrain made the work more difficult: fallen trees and volcanic ash blocked many passages. There are also concerns that heavy rain could cause cold lava flows. These are mudslides composed of cold volcanic ash, stone and water that flow down the volcano's slopes during wet weather conditions.

According to the Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazards (PVMBG), the Bilaki-Laki region of Levoto has shown signs of increased seismic activity since last weekend. In January, authorities had called on thousands of people to leave their homes after several small eruptions. Many people were sent to evacuation centers. (lak/sda/dpa)

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