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Eastern Indonesia Experiences Major Volcanic Eruption, Destroying Homes And Causing Thousands To Flee 

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Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency reported this Monday that at least six people have passed away after a series of intense volcanic eruptions occurred on the remote island of Flores in eastern Indonesia. 

Mount Lewotobi Laki erupted just after midnight on Monday, releasing thick ash clouds up to 6,500 feet into the air. The hot ashes quickly reached a nearby village causing multiple properties to burn down, including homes, and a convent for Catholic nuns, according to Firman Yosef, an official at the Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki monitoring post. 

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The Disaster Management Agency hasn’t fully confirmed the amount of people who have died as they’re consistently receiving updated information from local authorities. 

Authorities have also been raising the danger level and extending the danger zone for Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki today. The mountain experienced a series of other eruptions that began last week. 

Indonesia’s volcano monitoring agency has increased their volcano alert status to the highest level possible and has vastly increased their exclusion zones to a 4.3 mile radius after the eruptions early Monday morning became more frequent. 

The agency also stated that at least 10,000 people have been impacted by the eruption, which took place in the Wulanggitang District, including the six nearby villages of Pululera, Nawokote, Hokeng Jaya, Klatanlo, Boru, and Boru Kedang. 

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The Dulipali Village, Nobo, Nurabelen, and Riang Rita were the villages impacted in the Ile Bura District. In the Titehena District, the Konga Village, Kobasoma, Bokang Wolomatang, and Warowara were affected. 

Yosef stated that volcanic material erupted 3.7 miles above its crater, which forced thousands of residents to flee as the ashes and volcanic debris covered nearby villages and towns. 

“A nun in Hokeng village died and another was missing,” said Agusta Palma, the head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation.

“Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” Palma said.

Updates are set to continue to roll out as the damage is further assessed. One of the biggest priorities is search and rescue for any missing residents and impacted people who had to quickly leave their homes. 

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Morocco Earthquake Death Toll Nears 2,900 With Over 5,500 Injured 

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Nearly 3,000 individuals have been reported dead after the devastating earthquake that hit Morocco last Friday. Over 5,500 people are injured as search and rescue efforts throughout the destroyed terrain continue.

Authorities are losing hope of finding any more survivors as a majority of the roads have now been blocked off, making it difficult to reach remote villages in rural mountainous areas that were likely impacted the most by the quake. 

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According to Morocco’s Ministry of the Interior, the death toll currently is at 2,901 with 5,530 individuals injured in the nation’s deadliest earthquake since 1960.

Vehicles with rescue supplies are continuously making there way towards roads in the mountains to deliver food and tents to survivors while search teams continue to search through rubble for more people. 

Stefanie Dekker, a reporter for Al Jazeera, reported from the village of Imi N’Tala that the situation is dire:

“The village is completely flattened and devastated. The stench of death is everywhere. There are still at least 40 bodies under the rubble. Massive chunks of the mountain came down, smashing into these villages. Entire families have been wiped out.”

“One man was pointing at his home. There was a white door that remained standing, and he was telling us that that was the door to his house. He started crying about how he ran out of the door and everything collapsed around him. He lost both his sons and his wife. He was screaming because he saw his wife’s abaya under the rubble. It was heartbreaking,” Dekker said.

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“The problem is the access to these places. There are narrow, winding roads. There are still many places that they have not been able to reach.”

Search and rescue teams from Qatar, the United Kingdom, Spain, and the United Arab emirates have been stationed throughout Morocco working with emergency teams, the military, and other officials. 

The United States and United Nations have also sent teams to the nation to help assess the damage and collaborate on response efforts. 

Head of the Menara district in Marrakesh, Abdel Wahed Chafiki, said “it is difficult to determine the total number of victims. The rugged mountainous terrain where the earthquake struck is making it a challenge to get to victims, but local authorities are continuing their relief efforts and providing assistance.”

“The army is doing [its] job to bring these people out of the ground, but also it’s very, very difficult to reach these places, so you can imagine that there is no food, but also there’s no blankets or beds where people can sleep,” said Errachid Montassir, an activist and humanitarian worker, who has been traveling with doctors to remote villages in the Atlas Mountains.

Rebuilding all that has been damaged, lost, and destroyed is going to be a long journey, as Morocco’s economy was already on the decline before the earthquake due to a lack of tourism.