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Volcanic Eruption In Indonesia Kills Six

Hindu devotees make an offering to the gods at the edge of a volcano during a festival in East Java in July. Indonesia is among the most volcanically active regions in the world.
Trisnadi
/
Associated Press
Hindu devotees make an offering to the gods at the edge of a volcano during a festival in East Java in July. Indonesia is among the most volcanically active regions in the world.

Six people have been killed by lava and ash from an erupting volcano on a tiny island in Indonesia.

Authorities in Indonesia say that Mount Rokatenda, a volcano that had been rumbling since last year on the island of Palue, finally erupted, spewing ash and rock three miles into the sky.

The hot debris from the eruption covered a nearby beach, where four adults and two children were killed.

The BBC quotes a spokesman from Indonesia's volcanology agency as saying that many villagers had become accustomed to the volcanic activity and ignored a mandatory evacuation order.

Indonesia is one of the world's most geologically active countries, and volcanoes dot its numerous islands.

In 2010, on the island of Java, at least 350 people died and a quarter-million were displaced by the eruption of Mount Merapi.

Copyright 2021 NPR. To see more, visit https://www.npr.org.

Scott Neuman is a reporter and editor, working mainly on breaking news for NPR's digital and radio platforms.