Indonesia evacuates about 6,500 people on the island of Flores after a volcano spews clouds of ash

By HANDRIANUS BELUTOWE
Associated Press

FLORES TIMUR, Indonesia (AP) — Indonesia has evacuated about 6,500 people on the island of Flores after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki volcano spewed thick clouds of brownish ash for the past days. Authorities said on Monday that no casualties or major damage have been reported so far. The eruptions in East Nusa Tenggara province are part of hot gas spills that have become more frequent in recent days. The volcano has erupted 40 times since Sunday, with columns of hot clouds rising 500-1,500 meters (1,600-4,900 feet) into the air. Residents in nearby villages were taken in by relatives or brought to evacuation centers as authorities raised the volcano’s alert status to the highest level last Tuesday.