ARDHY FERNANDO/AP
A hangs his clothes to dry as Mount Marapi spews volcanic ash from its crater, in Agam, West Sumatra, Indonesia, Tuesday, Dec. 5. The Indonesian government on Monday halted the search for a dozen climbers after the Mount Marapi volcano erupted again. causing a new explosion of hot ash that reached 800 meters (2,620 feet) high, officials said.
BATU PALANO, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers from the treacherous slopes of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano have recovered the last bodies of climbers who were captured during a wondrous eruption over the weekend, bringing the death toll to 23, officials said Wednesday.
About 75 climbers began climbing the 2,900-meter (9,480-foot) mountain in the Agam district of West Sumatra province on Saturday and found themselves stranded.
Some 52 climbers were rescued after Sunday’s initial eruption, and another 11 were first found dead. New eruptions on Monday and Tuesday spewed more hot ash up to 800 meters (2,620 feet) high, reducing visibility and temporarily halting the search. and recovery operations, said Abdul Malik, head of Padang’s search and rescue agency.
The bodies of two climbers were discovered on Monday and others on Tuesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said.
West Sumatra’s Police Chief Suharyono said the body of the last climber was found early Wednesday, just a few meters (yards) from the eruption site, bringing the death toll rise to 23.
Rescuers had to deal with bad weather and difficult terrain, as well as winds that brought heat from the eruptions, while distraught relatives piled up at the aid station in Batu Palano, on the mountainside, with the hope to receive news of missing relatives.
By Wednesday morning, 20 bodies had been taken to the hospital for identification, as more than 300 rescuers, including police and soldiers, struggled to bring others down the mountain and search for the missing climber, said Suharyono, who is going through a call like many others. Indonesia.
Marapi has stayed at the third highest of four alert levels since 2011, indicating above-normal volcanic activity under which climbers and villagers must stay more than 3 kilometers (1.8 miles) from the peak, according to Indonesia’s Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.
Officially, climbers were only allowed below the danger zone and had to register at two command posts or online. However, local officials acknowledge that many people may have climbed higher than permitted.
Marapi spewed thick plumes of ash up to 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) during Sunday’s eruption and clouds of hot ash stretched several kilometers (miles). Nearby towns and cities were covered in tons of volcanic debris that blocked sunlight, and the government urged others to wear clothes. Mask to protect yourself from ashes.
About 1,400 more people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages, about five to six kilometers (3 to 3. 7 miles) from the summit.
Marapi is known for its sudden eruptions that are hard to expect because the source is shallow and close to the summit, and its eruptions are caused by the deep movement of magma, which triggers tremors recorded on seismic monitors.
Marapi has been active since an eruption in January that has caused no casualties. It is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia that are prone to seismic shaking due to its location on the Pacific’s “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and faults. surrounding the Pacific Rim.
Associated Press editor Edna Tarigan of Jakarta, Indonesia, contributed to this report.
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