JAKARTA, Indonesia (AP) — A series of volcanic eruptions. of Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki on the remote Indonesian island of Flores, killed nine people and injured dozens more, as buildings collapsed and terrified residents ran for their lives in the darkness.

Monday’s eruptions affected more than 10,000 people in 10 towns. Some 4,400 villagers moved to makeshift emergency shelters after the eruption, which destroyed seven schools, nearly two dozen homes and a convent on the majority-Catholic island.

Authorities on Wednesday provided tons of logistics and aid supplies to displaced people and warned thousands of people who fled not to return to their homes, as rescuers, police and soldiers continued to comb devastated villages for survivors. although no missing persons were reported.

Here’s a closer look at the eruption and its aftermath.

How many active volcanoes are there in Indonesia?

The 1,584-meter (5,197-foot) Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki is one of the country’s 120 active volcanoes. Indonesia is prone to earthquakes, landslides and volcanic activity because it lies along the “Ring of Fire,” a series of horseshoe-shaped seismic faults around the Pacific Ocean.

Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation has recorded 4,796 volcanic eruptions across the vast archipelago nation since January. Mount Ibu in North Maluku province has erupted 1,930 times, Mount Semeru in East Java province 1,634 times and Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki 872 times.

Some 6,500 people were evacuated in January after Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki began erupting, spewing thick clouds and forcing the government to close the island’s Frans Seda airport. No casualties or major damage were reported, but the airport has been closed since then due to seismic activity.

Why was the last volcanic eruption so powerful?

Since January, Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki had erupted up to six times almost every day, but its activity dropped sharply in early November, said Muhammad Wafid, director of the geology agency at the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Analysis showed there was a magma blockage in the crater, which reduced detectable seismic activity and increased pressure, Wafid said.

“The eruptions that occurred since Friday were due to the accumulation of hidden energy,” Wafid said, adding that the agency recommended raising the volcano’s alert status to the highest level.

“There is currently no technology capable of determining when a volcanic eruption will occur and how large the eruption will be,” he said, “what we do is monitor for signs that there will be an eruption, but we don’t know when it will be.”

How common are deadly rashes in Indonesia?

Many eruptions in Indonesia are minor and cause little or no damage, but some can be deadly.

Mount Marapi erupted in December 2023, killing 24 climbers and injuring others who were trapped by its sudden eruption over the weekend. Since then, two climbing routes on the mountain have been closed. Five months later, Monsoon rains caused a landslide. of mud and cold lava from Mount Marapi, causing the rivers to overflow. The flood devastated mountain towns and destroyed people and dozens of homes, killing 67 people.

A December 2021 eruption of Mount Semeruthe highest volcano on the densely populated island of Java, left 48 dead and 36 missing in villages that were buried under layers of mud. Mount Merapi also erupted in 2010, killing 347 people and displacing 20,000 villagers.

The monumental eruption of the Krakatau volcano in 1883 triggered a period of global cooling.