At least nine people have been killed after a volcano erupted on Flores Island in eastern Indonesia. The government plans to permanently relocate all residents living within a seven-kilometer radius of the crater.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki started erupting on Sunday. It spewed clouds of ash as high as 2,000 meters which blanketed villages. Further eruptions continued through Tuesday.

Local authorities said more than 60 people were hospitalized, nearly half of them with serious injuries. The volcanic alert remains at the highest level.

The country's disaster management agency says over 10,000 people are living in the villages nearest the volcano, and more than 4,000 of them have been evacuated so far.

Mount Lewotobi Laki-Laki erupted in January this year, forcing the evacuation of about 6,500 residents.