Three days after the sudden eruption of the Marapi volcano on the island of Sumatra – reports krone.at – all 23 mountaineers missing since then have been located and declared dead. The bodies reportedly had mostly severe burns.
“Of the 75 registered hikers, 52 were successfully rescued, although some suffered minor to serious injuries. 23 deaths were declared,” the police chief of West Sumatra province said on Wednesday. According to reports, the dead mostly had severe burns.
The authorities fear even more victims
More than 30 teams with a total of 300 rescuers are on hand to bring the bodies to the valley. So far, 16 of the victims have been handed over to police for identification, said Abdul Malik, head of local emergency services. However, authorities fear that there may have been more climbers on Marapi who had not officially registered for their climb. Search parties continued to comb the slopes.
The volcano spewed an ash cloud three kilometers high
The almost 3,000-meter-high Marapi – not to be confused with the Merapi volcano of the same name on the island of Java – erupted early on Sunday afternoon (local time), sending a cloud of ash and debris about three kilometers high into the air. Since then, there have been dozens of other smaller eruptions, which – combined with sometimes heavy rainfall – have hampered rescue efforts.
Ashes continued to fall in several districts on Wednesday. “But right now it’s just ash, no rubble,” said Bambang Wasito of the local civil protection organization. Authorities urged people to wear masks, hats and goggles outdoors to protect themselves from ash and volcanic rock.
Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. Indonesia is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on Earth. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon there.
Source: Krone
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