Mount Semeru volcano: search for survivors suspended amid fresh eruption in Indonesia
Indonesia’s Mount Semeru spewed more ash on Monday, forcing rescuers to suspend the search for survivors as aerial images showed the extent of the devastation unleashed by the volcano’s deadly weekend eruption.
People living near the volcano were earlier on Monday warned to remain vigilant after the eruption, as heavy wind and rain brought search-andrescue efforts to a halt.
The tallest mountain on the island of Java erupted dramatically on Saturday, shooting a towering column of ash into the sky which blanketed surrounding villages. Fourteen people were killed and dozens more injured.
Aerial photos showed entire streets filled with grey volcanic ash and mud, which had swallowed many homes and vehicles, including whole trucks.
“All evacuation teams have been pulled out ... temporarily because there was a small fresh eruption and it could endanger the evacuation teams,” rescue worker Rizal Purnama said.
“The search will continue today once the situation is a bit safer.”
Dozens of people remain missing, he added.
Dangerous thick plumes of smoke continued to emerge from areas blanketed by the volcanic ash, while rescuers in hardhats tried to dig through the mud to try and find survivors – and recover bodies.
Their task was made more difficult as the volcanic debris had started to harden. “It’s very difficult ... with simple tools,” Purnama said.
The head of the Semeru Volcano Observatory, Liswanto, had previously warned residents to keep a safe distance from the mountain, amid reports that some had returned to their homes to check on belongings and livestock.
“The status of Mount Semeru is still at level 2, which means at this level people need to be more vigilant because the potential threat is still there,” he said.
More than 50 people had suffered injuries from the initial eruption, mostly burns. Lava flows destroyed a strategic bridge connecting two areas in the nearby district of Lumajang with the city of Malang.
In the Sumberwuluh area, where two trucks lay half-buried by volcanic ash, recovery efforts came to an abrupt halt because of strong winds, a witness said.
Public kitchens and health facilities have been set up for more than 1,000 people who have been displaced.
Officials advised locals not to travel within 5km of Semeru’s crater, as the nearby air is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups.
Ash from Semeru travelled up to 4km away after the Saturday eruption, Indonesia’s geological agency reported.
A sand mine company’s office in Kampung Renteng village was buried after the eruption, trapping 15 people inside, according to the foreman, Hasim, 65.
“There’s no news from them,” he
said. “Only one operator was rescued, he’s now at the hospital with burns.”
A trauma healing team to work with children affected by the eruption has been dispatched, CNN Indonesia reported, while hundreds of aid packages – including rice, blankets and clothes and other basic necessities – have been sent to the area.
Semeru is one of more than 100 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which straddles the Pacific “ring of fire”, an area of high seismic activity that rests atop multiple tectonic plates.