AGAM, Indonesia: The death toll from a volcano eruption in Indonesia has risen to 22 after nine more bodies were discovered, a search and rescue agency official said on Tuesday (Dec 5).
Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra spewed an ash tower 3,000m – taller than the volcano itself – into the sky on Sunday.
Hundreds of rescuers have worked for days to find the missing hikers, which numbered 10 on Tuesday before the local rescue agency’s announcement that most had been found, bringing the days-long search closer to an end.
“Nine of 10 missing victims were found dead this afternoon and at the moment, they are being evacuated. There is one remaining victim currently in the search,” Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency told AFP.
The dead were carried down the mountain in bodybags over several days, rescue officials said.
Images shared by Basarnas showed a rescue team of six in orange jackets and hard hats carrying a body down the side of the volcano on Tuesday.
Some of the 75 hikers on the mountain during the eruption were found alive and carried down, with multiple suffering burns and fractures.
One survivor spoke of his panic after the eruption began.
“I was zig-zagging, going down around 30 to 40m” to a trekking post, Ridho, 22, told AFP from a bed in a nearby hospital.
“The eruption sounded loud, I took a look behind then immediately ran away as everyone did. Some jumped and fell. I took cover behind the rocks, there were no trees there.”
The volcano was still erupting as of midday on Tuesday, according to officials, slowing the rescue efforts of more than 200 personnel.
Later in the day, rainfall and volcanic smoke were still blocking a view of Marapi, according to an AFP journalist.
Source: CNA
