The activity of the Indonesian volcano Semeru slowed down on Monday the efforts of the rescue services, which found 22 bodies, according to a latest report, after the spectacular eruption which devastated several villages this weekend.
The highest peak of the island of Java threw a vast plume of ash on Saturday and caused waves of burning mud which invaded villages located on its sides. More than a thousand panicked residents had to be evacuated.
“According to the data that have reached us […], there are 22 dead ”, against a toll of 14 deaths at the start of the day, announced the spokesperson for the disaster management agency Abdul Muhari during a press briefing Monday evening.
According to the agency, 27 people are still missing. “We focus on them in our research,” added the spokesperson.
In aerial photos, entire streets can be seen filled with piles of gray ash and mud, covering trucks or houses up to the roof.
“I still hope to find my son. […] Whenever I hear that a victim has been found, I hope it’s my son, ”said Maskur Suhri, who was harvesting palm sap when the Semeru erupted. “There’s a very small chance he survived. Maybe it’s his fate, but I still hope to find him, if only his body, ”continues this inhabitant of the village of Sumberwuluh.
On Monday morning, a resumption of volcanic activity forced some rescue teams to stop their work. “There was another eruption, and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” said rescuer Rizal Purnama.
Later, rescuers in orange clothing and hard hats resumed searching the ashes and mud in an attempt to find survivors and bodies, as fumes continued to rise from the ashes.
I still hope to find my son. […] Every time I hear that a victim has been found, I hope it is my son.
Their task becomes more difficult as the volcanic debris hardens. ” It’s very difficult […] with simple tools, ”remarks Rizal Purnama. “It is very likely that the bodies that are not found are buried under the waves of hot mud. “
Missing mine workers
Authorities have asked residents not to approach within five kilometers of the crater, as the air saturated with ash dust in the area is dangerous for vulnerable people.
Ash from the eruption spread four kilometers, according to the Indonesian Geological Agency.
The office of a sand mine was buried, trapping 15 people in and around it, said Hasim, a 65-year-old foreman who, like many Indonesians, has only one name. “We have no news. Only one worker was saved, he is in the hospital with burns, ”he told AFP.
Some victims were buried alive in their vehicle, without having had time to escape, rescuers said.
“I could only pray”
Suwarti Ningsi was trapped for five hours in her home with her daughter. “I couldn’t see anything anymore, it was like night. Everyone was panicking, “said the 42-year-old Indonesian woman:” I could only pray […] so that me and my daughter are saved. “
The rain forecast for the next few days could further complicate the work of rescuers, as it risks forming ash flows and hot mud.
More than one hundred Red Cross volunteers have also come to the aid of the evacuated families. “We have sent ambulances, medical teams, water trucks and aid to the area, including food and equipment for shelters,” said Sudirman Said, secretary general of the Cross. Indonesian Red, in a press release.
The Semeru, which rises to 3676 meters, has known many eruptions in recent decades, but rarely so destructive.
Its last major eruption was in December 2020. It had also caused the flight of thousands of people and covered entire villages. Since this episode, the authorities had maintained the alert level of the volcano at the second highest.
Indonesia is located on the Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, where the meeting of the continental plates causes high seismic activity. The Southeast Asian archipelago has nearly 130 active volcanoes.
At the end of 2018, the eruption of a volcano between the islands of Java and Sumatra had caused an underwater landslide and a tsunami, killing nearly 400 people.