Indonesia Volcano: The biggest mountain on the island of Java on Saturday ejected a mushroom of volcanic ash high
thousands of panicked people fled their homes
into the sky and rained hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.
The death toll from the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano has risen to 34, the national
disaster agency said, as aid was rushed to the affected region.
The biggest mountain on the island of Java on Saturday ejected a mushroom of volcanic ash high into
the sky and rained hot mud as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.
The disaster left entire streets filled with mud and ash, swallowing homes and vehicles.
“The latest update from the ground… (is) 34 people died, 17 are missing,”
the disaster agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.
Almost 3,700 have been evacuated from the affected area, he added.
Rescuers have been battling dangerous conditions since the deadly weekend eruption,
searching for survivors and bodies in
the volcanic debris, wrecked buildings and destroyed vehicles.
Mt Semeru has remained active since Saturday, with small eruptions keeping emergency workers and area residents on edge.
There were three small eruptions today, each spewing ash around a kilometre into the sky, authorities said.
Officials have advised locals not to travel within 5km of Semeru’s crater,
as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates
causes high volcanic and seismic activity,
and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
