Sunday, December 5, 2021

There are dead and wounded after the eruption of the volcano Semeru in Indonesia

 

Ten people trapped after the eruption of Indonesia's Semeru volcano have been evacuated to safety, the Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said, killing at least 13 people and injuring dozens. Reuters.

Semeru, the highest peak on the island of Java, dropped ash pillars and hot clouds on Saturday, covering nearby villages in East Java province and forcing thousands to flee.

  The eruption broke a strategic bridge connecting two areas in the nearby Lumajang region with the city of Malang and destroyed buildings, authorities said.

BNPB official Abdul Muhari said in a press release that 13 people had been killed since the eruption, two of whom have been identified. Ninety-eight were injured, including two pregnant women, and 902 were evacuated, the statement said.

Most of the injuries were burns, authorities said 

In the Sumbervulo area, thick, gray ash covered damaged houses as volunteers tried to bring back drivers who wanted to return to their homes near Semeru, a witness told Reuters.

An employee of the Indonesian Search and Rescue Agency told the news channel Metro TV that the evacuations were stopped due to hot clouds, which hindered the efforts of rescuers.

Other obstacles include heavy rocks and hot volcanic sediment that restrict movement, said a local disaster mitigation agency official.

  Indonesia's transport ministry said Sunday that the eruption did not disrupt flights in the region, although pilots were warned to watch out for volcanic ash.

Semeru, more than 3,600 meters high, is one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia. It also erupted in January, but there were no casualties.

Indonesia is located in the "Pacific Ring of Fire", a highly seismically active area where various plates of the earth's crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.

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