Indonesia Volcano Erupts With Massive Ash Cloud, Killing Four, Forcing Thousands to Flee Surrounding Villages

Jakarta, Indonesia— A volcano on a remote Indonesian island erupted Thursday, spewing a towering ash cloud that killed four people and forced mass evacuations of villages coated in gray dust.

The eruption hit at 11:04 a.m. local time at Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki on Flores Island, according to Antara news agency and the country's volcanology agency. The column rose more than 10 kilometers, then collapsed outward, sending fast-moving ash and hot gas down the southern flank. Four residents working in fields within the exclusion zone were caught. Bodies were recovered by search teams in the afternoon.

Officials raised the alert to the highest level, Level IV, and expanded the danger zone to seven kilometers from the crater. More than 2,800 people were ordered out. By evening, shelters in Larantuka and Sikka regencies were filling. People arrived covered in ash, carrying what they could, coughing.

The ash fall was immediate and heavy. In villages five kilometers away, roofs sagged under the weight. Visibility dropped to a few meters. Cars were abandoned after engines choked. "We could not breathe, could not see," a village head said on local radio. "The sky went black at midday."

Airlines canceled at least 14 flights to and from Flores and neighboring islands. The transport ministry said ash had entered flight paths and that runways at two regional airports were being cleared. Farmers said crops were buried, and water sources turned acidic.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire with 120 active volcanoes, and this peak has been restless for months. The agency said it had recorded increased tremors since September and had warned residents not to enter the six-kilometer zone. Some did anyway to tend crops. That decision proved fatal.

Rescue and medical teams reported 27 people treated for breathing problems and eye injuries. Hospitals handed out masks. The national disaster agency, BNPB, said it was sending 10,000 masks, tents, and water purification units. Heavy rain was forecast overnight, raising the risk of lahars — rivers of ash and water that can bury everything in their path.

Seismographs were still showing continuous tremor late Thursday, indicating magma was still moving near the surface. Officials said the eruption was not over.

Evacuation trucks were still running after dark, headlights cutting through falling ash, heading away from the mountain.