A late-night eruption of the Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano in eastern Indonesia on Sunday, November 3, resulted in the death of at least ten people. This prompted authorities to evacuate over 16,000 inhabitants from nearby villages.

The volcanic blast projected a dense cloud of brownish ash about 6,500 feet high. Volcanic debris was scattered up to 3.7 miles away from the crater. The eruption caused power failures and was followed by severe rainfall and lightning, leading to widespread panic among the local populace.

Among the casualties was Sister Nikolin Padjo, a Catholic nun serving in Hokeng village. Another nun is still unaccounted for, reported Agusta Palma, the director of the Saint Gabriel Foundation which supervises the convents on the island. The volcanic outburst damaged the San Dominggo Hokeng Middle Seminary and caused injuries to several seminarians.

By Tuesday morning, authorities had relocated about 2,472 residents out of the 16,086 affected from the eight nearby villages. The effort was hindered by roads obscured by a thick layer of volcanic ash. The calamity has caused damage to approximately 2,384 homes and at least 25 schools in the area.

Heronimus Lamawuran, a local official, confirmed that seven villages have been impacted by the eruption. The local government has declared a 58-day state of emergency, allowing the central government to provide assistance to the affected residents.

The Center of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation upgraded the volcano’s status to the highest alert level and implemented a four-mile no-entry zone around the crater. Four small airports on Flores Island, including the closest one in Maumere, have suspended operations due to safety concerns.

Indonesia’s disaster agency has cautioned about possible flash floods and cold lava flows in the upcoming days. The country’s geology agency attributed the eruption to an increase in pressure caused by a magma blockage in the crater.

This eruption is the second volcanic activity in Indonesia in a fortnight, following the October 27 eruption of Mount Marapi in the West Sumatra province. Indonesia, home to 120 active volcanoes, is located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” a zone of high seismic activity resulting from several tectonic plates.

Earlier in the year, Mount Ibu on Halmahera Island and Ruang volcano in North Sulawesi also erupted, leading to massive evacuations. In May, flash floods and cold lava flows from Mount Marapi resulted in over 60 fatalities.