Since Sunday, the Marapi volcano in Sumatra has been filled with kilometer-high ash clouds. The search for a dozen climbers is difficult. Eleven people died in the volcano.
Two days after the eruption of the Marapi volcano in Sumatra, which killed at least eleven people, twelve people are still missing on the mountain. The search is being hampered by bad weather, the head of local emergency services, Abdul Malik, told the German Press Agency on Tuesday. “Team safety must come first. It has been raining continuously since last night, making the paths slippery and making it difficult for the evacuation team,” he explained.
Due to the conditions, it is hardly possible to use search drones. The Marapi volcano, almost 3,000 meters high – not to be confused with the Merapi volcano, with almost the same name, on the island of Java – erupted early on Sunday afternoon (local time) and released a cloud of ash and debris about two miles high in the sky. . Indonesian authorities immediately created a three-kilometer exclusion zone around the crater. A rain of ash fell in many regions around the volcano.
The search is mainly focused on a rocky area where many mountaineers are said to have camped. “This is a particularly popular place,” Malik said. There is hope of finding the missing people alive, as only two days have passed since the eruption. “We do our best.”
Six of the eleven fatalities identified
Of the eleven fatalities, only six have been recovered and identified so far, he said. Five bodies still need to be brought from the mountain to the valley. According to reports, most of the dead had severe burns.
Authorities urged people to wear masks, hats and glasses when outdoors to protect themselves from ash and volcanic rocks. Since Sunday, experts have recorded dozens of additional, smaller outbreaks. According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Risk Response (PVMBG), the volcano’s activity has increased since January.
Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon in Indonesia. This is due to the country’s special tectonic position on the “Ring of Fire”. This is a horseshoe-shaped zone along the coast of the Pacific Ocean, where about half of all active volcanoes are located. There are around 130 active fire mountains in Indonesia alone. (APA/DPA)