Jakarta - The Lewotobi Laki-Laki volcano on the Indonesian island of Flores has erupted, killing at least ten people.

The victims died when their houses collapsed as a result of the eruption, the head of the local emergency team, Avi Manggota Hallan, told the German Press Agency.

Rescuers were searching for more victims under the rubble. "The work is still ongoing and there could be more deaths," he emphasized.

Flores, one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, is popular with tourists from all over the world because of its magnificent scenery.

The 1,584-metre-high Lewotobi Laki-Laki has been active again since the end of 2023. It has also spewed hot gases and ash into the air several times in recent months. It is the twin volcano of the 1,703-metre-high Lewotobi Perempuan. The peaks of the two mountains are around two kilometers apart.

The volcano erupted in the middle of the night, local media reported. Most of the villagers were surprised in their sleep and then fled their homes in panic. The newspaper "Kompas" spoke of dozens of injured people and many houses on fire.

The fire mountain had spewed out volcanic material in a radius of up to six kilometers. The particularly affected village of Klatanlo is only around five meters away from the summit. According to "Kompas", a total of seven villages are affected.

The authorities had already called on thousands of people to leave their homes in January after the volcano became increasingly active.

Many were taken to evacuation centers. Indonesia, with its more than 17,000 islands, lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth.

Strong earthquakes and intense volcanic activity are not uncommon.