Three days after the sudden eruption of the Marapi volcano on the island of Sumatra, all 23 missing climbers were located and pronounced dead. “Of the 75 registered hikers, 52 were successfully rescued, although some suffered minor to serious injuries. 23 were declared dead,” said the police chief of West Sumatra province. According to reports, most of the dead had severe burns.
More than 30 teams with a total of 300 rescuers are on duty to bring the bodies to the valley. So far, 16 of the victims have been handed over to police for identification, said local emergency services chief Abdul Malik. However, authorities fear that there may have been more climbers in Marapi who did not officially register for the climb. Search teams continued to scour the slopes.
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. . Since then, there have been dozens of other smaller eruptions, which – along with heavy rain – have made rescue work difficult.
Ash continued to fall today in several districts. “But at the moment it’s just ashes, there’s no rubble,” said Bambang Wasito of the local civil protection agency. Authorities urged people to wear masks, hats and glasses when outdoors to protect themselves from ash and volcanic rocks.
Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on the planet. Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon.