Indonesia volcano eruption burns down homes with at least 10 people dead

Get the latest Daily Record breaking news on WhatsApp

Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info

Join us on WhatsApp

At least 10 people have been killed after a huge volcano erupted in Indonesia last night.

Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed thick brown ash 6,500ft into the air as hot "ash bombs" rained down on homes in a nearby village, burning down several of them. One of the buildings gutted by fire was a convent of Catholic nuns, according to an official at the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring post.

Houses were flattened, with rescuers continuing their search under the rubble this morning. All of the fatal victims, including a child, were found within a 2.4-mile raidius of the volcano.

National Disaster Management Agency's spokesperson Abdul Muhari said at least 10,000 locals have been affected by the eruption in six villages of Wulanggitang District, and four villages in Ile Bura district. Some of them have fled to relatives' houses while the local government is readying schools to use as temporary shelters.

Authorities also raised the danger level and widened the danger zone for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki on Monday, November 4, following a series of eruptions that began last week.

The country's volcano monitoring agency increased their alert status to the highest level and more than doubled the exclusion zone to a seven-kilometre (4.3-mile) radius after midnight on Monday as eruptions started to become more frequent.

The agency said at least 10,000 people have been affected by the eruption in Wulanggitang District, in the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru and Boru Kedang.

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

Join the Daily Record WhatsApp community!

Get the latest news sent straight to your messages by joining our WhatsApp community today.

You'll receive daily updates on breaking news as well as the top headlines across Scotland.

No one will be able to see who is signed up and no one can send messages except the Daily Record team.

All you have to do is click here if you're on mobile, select 'Join Community' and you're in!

If you're on a desktop, simply scan the QR code above with your phone and click 'Join Community'.

We also treat our community members to special offers, promotions, and adverts from us and our partners. If you don’t like our community, you can check out any time you like.

To leave our community click on the name at the top of your screen and choose 'exit group'.

If you’re curious, you can read our Privacy Notice.

Authorities said volcanic material was thrown up to 3.7 miles from its crater, covering nearby villages and towns with tonnes of volcanic debris and forcing residents to flee.

One nun in Hokeng village died and another was missing, said Agusta Palma, the head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation that oversees convents on the majority-Catholic island.

Images and videos circulated on social media, showing tonnes of volcanic debris covering houses up to their rooftops in villages like Hokeng, where hot volcanic material set fire to houses.

It is Indonesia's second volcanic eruption in as many weeks. West Sumatra province's Mount Marapi, one of the country's most active volcanos, erupted on October 27, spewing thick columns of ash at least three times and blanketing nearby villages with debris, but no casualties were reported.

Don't miss the latest news from around Scotland and beyond. Sign up to our daily newsletter.

Story SavedYou can find this story in  My Bookmarks.Or by navigating to the user icon in the top right.