In a devastating turn-of-events yesterday Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki (a well-known volcano in eastern Indonesia) unleashed its power leaving local communities in shock
The massive blast sent brown-colored ash clouds up to 2000m high; spreading hot materials across a wide-range of populated areas. Rescue teams (working non-stop since early morning) report at least 9 people lost their lives in this natural disaster
The volcanos fury created a mix of dangerous conditions - hot lava streams thick ash clouds and falling rocks affected several locations within a 7-km radius. Local weather monitoring stations data shows unprecedented activity in this usually-quiet region: the volcanic materials spread across multiple small towns making roads un-passable
Emergency response teams face hard conditions while looking through still-hot debris and mud-like substances. Many local residents had to leave their homes quick taking only what they could carry; some areas near the volcano look completely different now covered in thick layers of ash
The islands emergency services continue working in high-risk conditions searching for anyone who might need help. Local authorities say more updates will come as they assess the full-scale of damage in this remote part of Flores