Nun dies after volcano erupts in Indonesia

MUMBAI, India – A religious sister was among the at least nine people killed after a volcano erupted in eastern Indonesia in the early hours of Monday.

Holy Spirit Missionary Sister Nikolin Padjo died after Mount Lewotobi Laki-laki, located on Flores Island in Indonesia’s East Nusa Tenggara province, shot up fiery lava and rocks in nearby towns.

Sister Julie George of the same community’s congregation in Mumbai told Crux she received a message from her sisters in Indonesia.

“Last night in Flores East province there was volcano eruption and our formation house, and the nearby places are badly affected. Our postulancy house is fully destroyed. The community leader died, and the postulants were saved,” the message said.

Bishop Antonius Subianto Benjamin is the President of the Indonesian Bishops’ Conference (KWI).

“We are very to hear the death of our beloved Sister because of the eruption of Mount Lewotobi. On behalf of KWI, we send our deep condolences on the death of Sister Nikolin Padjo May she rest in peace,” he told Crux.

Agusta Palma, the head of the Saint Gabriel Foundation that oversees convents on the island, told the Guardian one nun is still missing.

“Our nuns ran out in panic under a rain of volcanic ash in the darkness,” Palma said.

The Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMG) said fires had “occurred in residential areas due to the ejection of incandescent material” from the volcano.

Hadi Wijaya, a PVMG spokesperson, told journalists fiery lava and rocks had hit the villages about two miles from the crater, damaging residents’ houses.

Flores Island is one of the Lesser Sunda Islands, and the island is nearly 85 percent Catholic – the majority of Indonesians are Muslim.

Authorities say more than 2,400 villagers have gone into emergency shelters after Monday’s eruption.

“We’ll do everything we can to evacuate villagers by preparing trucks and motorbikes for them to flee at any time,” said Kensius Didimus, a local disaster agency chief, according to The Independent.