At least 10 people on Indonesia's eastern Flores Island have been killed by Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki's volcanic eruption late Sunday night. Authorities have evacuated thousands of residents in nearby villages and towns as rescue operations continue.
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00:00Search and rescue operations underway after a deadly volcanic eruption on eastern Indonesia's
00:08Flores Island.
00:10Mount Leotobi Laki-Laki erupted late Sunday night, spewing columns of lava, thick plumes
00:16of ash, and blazing rocks, burning down nearby houses and killing at least 10 people.
00:23Some villagers say they only survived by taking shelter.
00:26We only prayed that we could find a safe place to live, so that the rocks wouldn't fall.
00:34If the rocks were small, we could still survive.
00:37But if it's like this, it's like a ball of fire.
00:43If it's like a ball of fire, there's no place to live.
00:46That's why the house was destroyed and burned.
00:50Other survivors recount fleeing their homes, despite sustaining injuries from volcanic debris.
00:57I was already bleeding.
00:59I was hit by a car.
01:01I was hit by a car.
01:03So I took my wife and children.
01:05I took them to the village office.
01:07My wife and children.
01:09I took my car to the governor's office.
01:12My house was destroyed.
01:14It was destroyed.
01:17Authorities have warned of potential further destruction up to 7 kilometers from the crater,
01:23forcing local officials to evacuate thousands of residents.
01:26Based on the recommendations of the local authorities,
01:30the three villages that are closest to the crater,
01:34Kelatang Low and Hoking Jaya,
01:36must be evacuated immediately.
01:42They have been evacuated.
01:47A joint force of police, military personnel and rescue workers have been dispatched to the region.
01:53Digging through collapsed houses,
01:55they search for more victims.
01:57But local officials say the central government isn't doing enough,
02:01and that more help is needed to alleviate human suffering in the area.
02:05I was hit by a car.
02:07I was hit by a car.
02:09I panicked.
02:10I ran away.
02:11I didn't know where I was going to be found.
02:14Local authorities are now warning of potential flash flooding and cold lava flows in the coming days,
02:20adding urgency to current evacuation and rescue operations.
02:25Hank Hsu and Wesley Lewis for Taiwan Plus.