The bodies of 11 climbers were found Monday after a major eruption of Indonesia’s Marapi volcano, as Indonesian rescuers searched for at least 22 others missing.
The Marapi volcano on the island of Sumatra threw plumes of ash more than 3 km into the air, and hot ash clouds blew several kilometers to the north, according to the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Mitigation geological risks.
Nearby villages and towns were covered in tons of volcanic debris.
About 75 climbers began climbing the nearly 2,900-meter mountain on Saturday and found themselves stranded.
Eight of the people rescued Sunday were taken to hospital with burns and one also had a broken limb, said Hari Agustian, an official with the local search and rescue agency in Padang, the provincial capital.
West Sumatra Search and Rescue Agency Director Abdul Malik said rescuers discovered 11 bodies of climbers on Monday morning while searching for those still missing and found them. rescued three others.
“The process of evacuating the bodies and survivors is still ongoing,” he said, adding that rescuers are still searching for 22 climbers believed to be missing.
A video posted on social media on Saturday showed climbers being evacuated to a shelter, their faces and hair covered in volcanic dust and rain.
Two roads uphill were closed after the eruption and residents living on the slopes of Marapi were advised to stay three kilometers from the crater’s mouth because of the risk of lava, said Ahmad Rifandi, an official. of the Indonesian Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards Mitigation, at the Marapi Monitoring Station.
National Disaster Management Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari said the sun’s rays were blocked in many areas. Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear goggles to protect them from volcanic ash, he said.
About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages are located about five to six kilometers from the peak.
Marapi’s eruption alert level was maintained at the second highest level, according to Muhari, who confirmed that authorities were closely monitoring the volcano after sensors noted increasing activity in recent weeks .
The Marapi volcano has been active since an eruption in January which caused no casualties. It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia that are prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific basin.