Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi erupts, killing at least 6

Nov. 4 (UPI) -- Indonesia's Mount Lewotobi erupted late Sunday, killing at least six people and affecting more than a dozen villages, the nation's disaster management authority said Monday.

The eruption occurred minutes before midnight Sunday and lasted for about 24 minutes, the agency said in a statement. The nearly 5,600-foot-tall volcano is located in Indonesia's southern East Nusa Tenggara Province.

Hot ash, stone and laval was ejected in a radius of nearly 4 miles, Indonesia's state-run Antara news agency reported.

At least 14 villages across three districts have been impacted, with the National Disaster Management Authority stating more than 10,000 people have been affected.

Several refugee camps have been erected in response.

The agency has raised the volcano's alert status to the highest level of IV, establishing a quarantine zone with a radius of about 4.3 miles around Mount Lewotobi.

It is warning residents to stay calm and follow government instructions. Those in the vicinity of the mountain are being instructed to wear masks to prevent volcanic ash from entering their respiratory systems.

A total of 168 responders have been deployed to aid with evacuations, according to Antara.