The Semeru volcano in Indonesia has erupted again, and rescue attempts have been halted

[ASEAN NOW Content Team]

 

Mount Semeru in Indonesia blasted more ash on Monday (Dec 6), complicating the search for survivors as the death toll from the volcano's horrific weekend eruption climbed to 22.

Thousands of scared locals fled their houses when the island of Java's tallest mountain erupted, ejecting a mushroom of volcanic ash far into the sky and pouring boiling mud.

 

Aerial photographs revealed entire neighbourhoods covered in grey volcanic ash and sludge, which had engulfed many residences and cars, including entire trucks.

The death toll jumped to 22 on Monday night, according to Indonesia's national disaster agency, with 27 people still missing.

"I'm still holding out hope that my son will be found...
Every time I hear that a victim has been discovered, I pray that it is my son "When Semeru erupted, Maskur Suhri of Sumberwuluh village was collecting palm tree sap.

 

"There's a slim possibility he'll make it...
Maybe this is my son's fate, but I'm still hoping to find him, even if it's only his body."

On Monday, new volcanic activity impeded search efforts, forcing rescuers to withdraw from some regions.

 

"All evacuation teams have been temporarily pulled out... since there was a little fresh eruption that could harm the evacuation teams," rescue worker Rizal Purnama explained.

Dangerous heavy clouds of smoke continued to billow from places shrouded in volcanic ash, as rescuers in hardhats dug through the muck in search of survivors - and bodies.

The volcanic material had begun to solidify, making their task more difficult.

 

"With simple tools, it's quite difficult," Rizal Purnama remarked.
"It's extremely likely that unidentified bodies are buried beneath the scorching mudslide."

Other rescues assisted desperate residents in reclaiming their possessions from destroyed homes.
Some residents carried goats in their arms while others hoisted beds and furniture on their shoulders.

 

A major bridge connecting two areas in the surrounding district of Lumajang with the city of Malang was damaged by lava flows.

Strong winds halted rescue attempts in the Sumberwuluh area, where two lorries remained half-buried by volcanic ash, according to a Reuters witness.

The search and rescue agency's Dewa Arya said Monday that his team was seeking to locate a family of five victims, but that their efforts had been hampered by inclement weather.

People used Facebook to publish images of their missing relatives and public pleas for information regarding their locations.

For more than 1,000 persons who have been displaced, public kitchens and health facilities have been established.

 

CNN Indonesia stated that a trauma therapy team has been dispatched to help with children traumatised by the eruption, and that hundreds of humanitarian packages, including rice, blankets, clothing, and other basic supplies, have been given to the area.