The number of victims of the Marapi volcano is increasing

Malik explained that five more outbreaks were recorded on Tuesday morning alone. This, coupled with rainy weather conditions, hampers the emergency teams’ search: falling ash limits visibility. Videos from Indonesian news agency Antara showed rescuers wearing bright orange and red protective vests, masks and protective helmets combing through rubble on the slopes below the crater.

The teams focused primarily on a rocky area where many climbers were said to have camped. “This is a particularly popular place,” Malik said. “But we don’t expect to find any survivors.”

Team safety is now the top priority. He added, “The rain has been falling continuously since yesterday evening, making the roads slippery and hampering the evacuation team.” Due to rainfall, it is difficult to use search drones.

The nearly 3,000-meter-high Marapi volcano – not to be confused with the Merapi volcano of almost the same name on the island of Java – erupted early Sunday afternoon (local time) and threw a cloud of ash and debris about three kilometers high into the sky. . A shower of ash fell in many areas surrounding the volcano. According to reports, most of the dead suffered severe burns. Some survivors said they sought shelter behind rocks as ash and rubble fell from the sky.

Authorities urged people to wear masks, hats and glasses when outdoors to protect themselves from ash and volcanic rocks. Since Sunday, experts have recorded dozens of additional, smaller outbreaks. According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazards (PVMBG), volcanic activity has increased since January. Then the Marape River seemed to calm down again – until Sunday.

Most of the affected hikers reportedly climbed higher than officially allowed. The authorities recommended avoiding the crater within a three-kilometre radius. “No one should go near the hole,” PVMBG president Hendra Gunawan was quoted as saying by local media. “An eruption could happen at any time. That’s the problem.”

Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. The sixth largest island in the world is considered a natural tropical paradise with rainforests, volcanoes and coral reefs. Orangutans and elephants live in the jungle. However, natural disasters occur again and again.

Volcanic eruptions and earthquakes are not uncommon in Indonesia. The largest island country in the world is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. It is a horseshoe-shaped area along the Pacific coast, where about half of the active volcanoes are located. There are about 130 active fire mountains in Indonesia alone.