Eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia on Monday (December 4) following the eruption of the Marapi volcano in West Sumatra, a rescue official said, as a search to find 12 more missing was temporarily halted over safety concerns.
Three survivors were found on Monday along with the bodies of the 11 climbers, among 75 in the area at the time of Sunday’s eruption, said Jodi Haryawan, spokesperson for the search and rescue team.
The 2,891 meter (9,485 ft) high volcano, one of the most active on Sumatra island with its deadliest eruption claiming 60 lives in 1979, spewed ash as high as 3 km (1.9 miles) into the sky on Sunday (December 3). Authorities raised the alert to the second-highest level and prohibited residents from going within 3 km of the crater.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific’s so-called “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.
(Source: Reuters)
