Residential areas in East Flores regency, East Nusa Tenggara province, Indonesia, were blanketed with volcanic ash following eruptions from Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Wednesday, as reported by Reuters.

Indonesian officials announced on Wednesday that thousands of residents living near a recently erupted volcano will be permanently relocated. The volcano, which has been spewing fireballs and ash, claimed nine lives and damaged homes. Authorities have elevated the alert level of Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki to the highest tier in a four-level system, advising locals and tourists to stay clear of a seven-kilometre radius around the crater. Over 2,600 families residing near the volcano on the tourist island of Flores have been recommended to relocate permanently, according to the disaster mitigation agency (BNPB).

BNPB head Suharyanto, known by one name, addressed residents at a temporary shelter, stating, "The mountain cannot be moved. We must move. We must empty the seven-km radius." The government will assist locals in moving to a new area or in constructing homes on their existing land. This decision is considered one of the long-term mitigation measures to prepare for future eruptions, as explained by BNPB spokesman Abdul Muhari.

Lewotobi Laki-Laki experienced three eruptions on Monday night, sending ash two kilometres into the sky, followed by another eruption on Tuesday. Residents recounted their terror upon realizing they were in the path of an eruption, initially obscured by adverse weather conditions. "I saw flames coming out and immediately fled. There were ashes and stones everywhere," said 32-year-old hairdresser Hermanus Mite. More than 10,000 people were affected by the disaster, according to BNPB. Last week, multiple tremors and eruptions at the volcano sent ash columns 6,500 feet into the sky for several consecutive days.

The volcano, named "Laki-Laki" meaning "man" in Indonesian, is paired with a calmer volcano named after the Indonesian word for "woman." Indonesia, a nation comprising numerous islands, frequently experiences volcanic eruptions due to its location on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," an area known for intense volcanic and seismic activity.

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