Advertisement

We need your help now

Support from readers like you keeps The Journal open.

You are visiting us because we have something you value. Independent, unbiased news that tells the truth. Advertising revenue goes some way to support our mission, but this year it has not been enough.

If you've seen value in our reporting, please contribute what you can, so we can continue to produce accurate and meaningful journalism. For everyone who needs it.

A resident in front of a damaged house after the eruption of Mt Semeru in Indonesia. Xinhua News Agency/PA Images
Mount Semeru

Indonesia volcano eruption death toll rises to 34

On Saturday, Mount Semeru ejected volcanic ash high into the sky and rained hot mud on villages.

THE DEATH TOLL from the eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Semeru volcano has risen to 34, the national disaster agency said.

On Saturday, the mountain on the island of Java ejected volcanic ash high into the sky and rained hot mud on villages as thousands of panicked people fled their homes.

The disaster swallowed entire homes and vehicles, blanketing villages such as Curah Kobokan in grey ash and leaving residents terrified of returning home.

“I’m traumatised, I asked my relatives if they were brave enough to go back to Curah Kobokan and they all said no, they’d rather sleep under a tree,” said Marzuki Suganda, a 30-year-old who works at a sand mine in the area.

When the eruption happened, I really thought I was going to die here.

Rescuers have been battling dangerous conditions since the deadly weekend eruption, searching for survivors and bodies in the volcanic debris, wrecked buildings and destroyed vehicles.

Search crews deployed dogs today to aid the operation.

“The latest update from the ground… [is] 34 people died, 17 are missing,” the disaster agency spokesman Abdul Muhari told AFP.

Almost 3,700 have been evacuated from the affected area, he added.

Dangerous rescue operation 

indonesia-lumajang-mount-semeru Volcanic materials and white smoke coming from Mt Semeru yesterday. Xinhua News Agency / PA Images Xinhua News Agency / PA Images / PA Images

Mt Semeru has remained active since Saturday, keeping emergency workers and area residents on edge.

There were three small eruptions today, each spewing ash around a kilometre into the sky, authorities said.

The task for rescuers was made more difficult by the instability of the volcanic debris.

“What we are afraid of is the ground being cold outside but still hot inside,” said police officer Imam Mukson Rido. “If it’s hot inside, we must get away.”

Officials have advised locals not to travel within five kilometres of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.

Indonesian President Joko Widodo said during a trip to the area that the government will look into moving homes away because of the threat posed by the volcano.

“I hope after things calm down we can start both fixing infrastructures and think about the possibility of relocation from areas we believe to be dangerous,” he told Indonesia’s Metro TV.

“Earlier I got a report [that] there are around 2,000 houses that must be relocated.”

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity, and the country has nearly 130 active volcanoes.

Your Voice
Readers Comments
3
This is YOUR comments community. Stay civil, stay constructive, stay on topic. Please familiarise yourself with our comments policy here before taking part.
Leave a Comment
    Submit a report
    Please help us understand how this comment violates our community guidelines.
    Thank you for the feedback
    Your feedback has been sent to our team for review.

    Leave a commentcancel