A volcano erupts in eastern Indonesia, killing six people

Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki on Flores island in East Nusa Tenggara province erupted at 11:57 p.m. local time on Sunday, spewing a fiery red column of lava, volcanic ash and glowing rock, said Hadi Wijaya, a spokesman for the Center for Volcanology and geological hazard mitigation said Monday.

“After the eruption, there was a power outage, and then it rained and there was large lightning, causing panic among residents,” he said, adding that the authority raised the volcano's status to Level IV, or the highest level have.

The agency has recommended clearing a 7 km (4.35 mile) radius.

Fiery lava and rocks hit the nearest settlements about four kilometers from the crater, burning and damaging residents' homes, Hadi said.

The civil protection agency lowered the known death toll to nine compared to an earlier report, saying it had received updated information from local authorities. Heronimus Lamawuran, a local official in the East Flores area, said the outbreak affected seven villages.