JAKARTA (dpa): Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki, an active volcano on the eastern Indonesian island of Flores, erupted early on Monday, killing at least nine people, a local official said.
Avi Manggota Hallan, head of emergency response and logistics for East Flores district, said rescue teams were still searching for potential victims trapped under the rubble of collapsed homes.
"We are still conducting assessments, and there may be more casualties," Hallan told dpa.
The eruption triggered panic among residents of nearby villages, with many fleeing their homes as ash and debris rained down.
The victims were killed when their homes collapsed due to the eruption, a local village chief, Petrus Muda, told the state-run Antara news agency.
"The volcano erupted around 12.30 am local time (1730 GMT Sunday). A family of six was buried under the rubble," Petrus was quoted as saying.
He said villagers had fled their homes in panic.
"Officials have just arrived at the scene to conduct evacuations," he said.
Emergency response efforts are ongoing, with the government declaring a state of emergency in the affected areas until December 31, Hallan said.
The authorities also said they are still gathering data on the number of evacuees and damaged buildings.
Indonesia sits on the "Pacific Ring of Fire", an area of high seismic activity atop multiple tectonic plates.
This eruption follows a series of eruptions of different volcanoes in Indonesia. In May, a volcano on the remote island of Halmahera, Mount Ibu, caused evacuation of people from seven villages.
North Sulawesi's Ruang volcano has also erupted in May and prompted authorities to evacuate more than 12,000 people.
Flash floods and cold lava flow from Mount Marapi in West Sumatra province, covered several nearby districts following torrential rain on May 11, killing more than 60 people.
