The death toll from the Indonesian volcano continues to increase as the search for the missing continues

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

According to officials, at least 13 people have died and 98 have been injured as a result of Mount Semeru's abrupt eruption.

The death toll from Indonesia's Semeru volcano eruption has increased to 13, officials said, as rescuers looked for survivors in towns coated in molten ash.

Two of the 13 persons killed by the eruption have been identified, according to a representative for Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB).

 

At least 98 people have been hurt, including two pregnant women, according to the spokesman, Abdul Muhari, and 902 people have been evacuated from the villages surrounding Semeru in East Java Province.

According to officials, up to ten trapped persons were rescued from villages in East Java's Lumajang area, with broadcaster Kompas stating that those rescued were sand mining workers.

 

The volcano, which is located on Indonesia's most densely populated island of Java, erupted on Saturday, shooting ash columns more than 12 kilometres (7.5 miles) into the sky and lava running down its slopes.

The ash buried several communities in Lumajang.
Houses and automobiles were flooded, and livestock were suffocated.

 

According to Eko Budi Lelono, the geological survey centre's director, the unexpected eruption was triggered by a thunderstorm and days of heavy rains.

Rains corroded and eventually toppled the lava dome atop the 3,676-meter (12,060-foot) Semeru, according to him.

 

On Saturday, he added, lava and smouldering gas flowed up to 800 metres (2,624 feet) to a nearby river at least twice.

People should stay 5 kilometres (3.1 miles) away from the crater's mouth, according to the BNPB.

"Thick columns of ash have plunged several villages into darkness," said Thoriqul Haq, a Lumajang district official, adding that a power outage in the area was delaying evacuation operations.

According to Haq, debris and lava coupled with rain created thick mud, which collapsed the main bridge between Lumajang and Malang's neighbouring district, as well as a smaller bridge.