“O The total number of dead now stands at 13. Ten missing climbers are still being searched for,” the director of the local rescue service, Abdul Malik, told France-Presse news agency (AFP).
The previous balance pointed to 11 deaths.
The volcano has remained at the third highest alert level (out of four) since 2011, a level that indicates above-normal volcanic activity and which prohibits climbers and inhabitants within a three-kilometer radius of the peak, said the head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation, Hendra Gunawan.
About 75 climbers had started ascending the nearly 9,000-foot mountain on Saturday and were stranded. Authorities rescued most.
Mount Marapi erupted on Sunday, spewing thick columns of ash up to 3,000 meters high and the clouds of hot ash spread for several kilometers.
Surrounding villages and towns were covered in tons of volcanic debris that blocked sunlight. Authorities distributed masks and asked residents to wear glasses to protect themselves from volcanic ash.
Around 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi, in the nearest villages, Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, around five to six kilometers from the peak.
Marapi has been active since an eruption in January that caused no casualties. It is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is a region prone to seismic disturbances due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that encircle the Pacific basin.
Read Also: Marapi Volcano erupts again. There are 12 climbers missing
All News. By the Minute.
Seventh consecutive year Consumer Choice for Online Press.
Download our free App.
Source: https://www.noticiasaominuto.com/mundo/2454826/sobe-para-13-o-numero-de-mortos-devido-a-erupcao-de-vulcao-na-indonesia
