Disasters & Accidents

11 climbers found dead, 12 missing after Indonesian volcano erupts

Jakarta, Dec 4 (EFE).- Eleven hikers have been found dead following the eruption of Indonesia’s Marapi volcano in West Sumatra, the head of the rescue operation reported on Monday.

In addition, three climbers were found safe and 12 were still missing, according to Padang Search and Rescue Agency chief Abdul Malik.

The national search and rescue agency Basarnas said that 75 climbers survived and 49 of those have descended since the volcano erupted on Sunday, sending a column of ash and smoke 3,000 meters into the air.

“Some have returned home and some are in two hospitals,” Malik said.

Rescue teams on Monday were bringing the bodies of the deceased down from the volcano.

All hikers are believed to be Indonesian, according to Basarnas.

The eruption occurred around 2.54 pm local time (07:54 GMT) on Sunday, the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) said at the time.

Another eruption took place on Monday at 8.22 am, with the volcano spewing an ash column 800 meters above its peak, the agency said, adding that there was a 3 kilometer no-entry zone in place around the crater.

Sunday’s incident was captured on camera by residents of nearby towns who posted videos on social media of the enormous ash column that caused debris to rain down on the area.

About 70 climbers had registered through an online reservation process at two entry points to begin climbing the volcano on Saturday, according to West Sumatra’s natural resources conservation agency, although not all of them notify authorities of their arrival and departure.

The volcano, with a summit of 2,891 meters and whose name translates as “Mountain of Fire,” is the most active on the island of Sumatra.

Indonesia is home to more than 400 volcanoes, of which at least 129 are active and 65 are classified as dangerous.

The Indonesian archipelago sits along the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area of great seismic and volcanic activity, which is shaken by about 7,000 earthquakes a year, most of them of small magnitude. EFE

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