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3:15
In Indonesia: Death and destruction by volcano eruption
At least 15 deaths were reported in Indonesia from the eruption of the highest volcano
On the island of Java, there is the Semeru volcano, specifically in the district of Lamajang, in the province of East Java, it has erupted at the weekend and its thick ash columns reached more than 12,000 meters high.
This happened after several days of rain and a strong storm that unleashed all the events.
Volcanic events
Just as it managed to be 12,000 meters high, the fiery gases also rose, and the lava descended uncontrollably, to the point that several villages were covered by the ashes that came from the heights.
Eki Budi Lelono, director of the center for geological studies, pointed out that the lava and fiery gases rushed approximately 800 meters, reaching a river several times, for which they gave the order to stay 5 kilometers away.
For his part, the Lumajang district chief, Thoriqul Haq, had reported that since December 1 the increase in volcanic activity in the Semeru remained at the highest level since the eruptions began a year ago.
However, the center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation did not raise the level.
Panic and evacuation
The Semeru volcano left at least 11 villages in the Lumajang district not only covered in ash, but also submerged houses, killed livestock and forced more than 1,200 people to evacuate their homes and take refuge in schools, mosques and other public buildings.
Deceased and missing
In a report announced by the spokesman for the disaster management agency, Abdul Mahuari, revealed that according to his acquired data, 22 deaths have been reported and at least 27 people remain missing.
He also reported that they are completely focused on the search for the disappeared. It should be noted that there were victims who were buried alive in their vehicles, since there was no time to escape.
Similarly, it was revealed by a witness that the office of a well-known sand mine was buried after the eruption, and 15 people were trapped in it.
Said witness is in the hospital with serious burns.
Volunteers and victims
Currently, they continue to search for missing persons, and for this there are more than 100 Red Cross volunteers, who also helped in the evacuation of families.
This team is led by Sudirman Said, secretary of the General of the Red Cross in Indonesia, who announced that they have sent ambulances, water trucks and different medical teams and food to the refugee areas.
Among the rescued victims was Suwarti Ningsi, who was trapped for 5 hours in her house, which was covered in ashes, and with her was her little daughter.
She claims that she could only pray that everything would culminate, as she heard the panic in the streets, but they could not see anything because the ashes made everything look like night.
The Semeru volcano has the highest peak in Java, at more than 3,600 meters. It is known to have erupted many times in recent decades, however this has been the most catastrophic.
It is important to know that Indonesia is located in the well-known "Pacific Ring of Fire", a place where tectonic plates cause great seismic activity.
