Indonesia: Volcano eruption kills several

A volcano erupted several times overnight on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores. Officials said that rescue teams were still searching for victims under the rubble of collapsed homes.

At least six people died after a volcano erupted several times in eastern Indonesia, officials said.

The eruptions occurred at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki which is located on the island of Flores.

What else do we know about the eruption?

"According to our coordination with the local authorities, six fatalities have confirmed," Abdul Muhari, the spokesman for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency, said in an interview for the Kompas TV broadcaster.

Avi Mangota Hallan, the head of emergency response and logistics for East Flores district, told Germany's DPA news agency that rescue teams were still searching for potential victims trapped under the ruble of collapsed homes.

The crater erupted just before midnight and again at 1:27 a.m. (1727 UTC Sunday) and 2:48 a.m. local time.

The volcano has been spewing ash up to 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) into the air every day since Thursday.

Firman Yosef, an official at the volcano's monitoring post, said that several houses were burned down, including a convent of Catholic nuns.

Government declares state of emergency

Hallan said that the government had declared a state of emergency in affected areas until December 31.

Indonesia's volcanology agency raised the alert level to its highest mark.

It told locals and tourists not to carry out activities within a seven-kilometer (4.3-mile) radius of the crater.

"There has been a significant increase in volcanic activity on Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki," it said in a press release.

It warned there was a potential for rain-induced lava floods and told locals to wear masks to avoid the effects of volcanic ash.

The mountain on Indonesia's Flores island had several major eruptions in January, prompting authorities to raise the alert status to its highest level and evacuate at least 2,000 residents.

Indonesia experiences frequent eruptions and is part of the Pacific "Ring of Fire" area, which sees intense volcanic and seismic activity.

In May, thousands were evacuated on the Sangihe Islands in North Sulawesi after the Ruang volcano erupted.

sdi/jsi (AFP, dpa, AP)