Eleven climbers were killed last weekend by an eruption of the Merapi volcano in West Sumatra. They were found today by rescuers. Three climbers were found alive and twelve are still missing. The eruption sent ash up to three kilometers into the air.
Dozens of hikers near the volcano had to be evacuated. “A group of 26 people were not evacuated,” Abdul Malik, head of the Padang rescue team, said today. “We found 14 people from that group: three are still alive, the eleven others were found dead. Twelve others are still being sought.”
Earlier, a group of about fifty people had come down from the mountains. “Some of them suffered burns and were taken to hospital,” said Rudy Rinaldi, director of the West Sumatra disaster management agency. “Those who were injured came close to the crater.”
The eruption has banned residents and tourists from coming within three kilometers of the crater, local authorities said. Volcanic ash has fallen in the city of Bukittinggi, the third largest city in Sumatra with 100,000 inhabitants. Residents are advised to protect themselves with face masks and headgear.
The Merapi volcano is 2,891 meters high and is the most active volcano in Indonesia. According to the authorities, warning level three applies on a scale of four. In 1979, there were also deaths caused by an eruption of Mount Merapi. Then sixty people died. The volcano’s worst eruption ever was in 1930, when 1,300 people died.
There are approximately 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is part of the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire.
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