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Indonesia: 14 killed by Semer eruption

LAST UPDATE: 15:08

At least 14 people have been killed and dozens injured in an eruption of the Semero volcano in Indonesia, the Disaster Management Authority (BNPB) said today as search and rescue teams search for victims in a landscape covered in thick layers of ash.

Semeru, the highest mountain on the island of Java, spewed ash clouds yesterday, which covered the neighboring villages in the province of East Java, causing residents to start running in panic to be saved.

The blast destroyed a strategic bridge connecting two areas in Lumajag with the city of Malang, and damaged buildings, according to authorities.

During a press conference, a BNPB official announced that 14 people had been killed. Fifty-six were injured and 1,300 were forced to flee their homes.

Most of the injuries are burns, according to authorities.

In the Soberguluh area, a dense layer of ash has covered the damaged houses. Volunteers are trying to get rid of drivers who want to return to their homes near Semeru, Reuters reports.

A video recorded by a Lumajang resident and volunteer, Tawfiq Ismail Marzouki, shows police and soldiers trying to retrieve corpses with their bare hands.

Disaster scene

The Semer blast destroyed at least one bridge in Lumajang, causing problems for rescue teams.

A video posted by the rescue service shows a scene of destruction with roofs and palm trees emerging from the ashes and debris having covered the ground.

Authorities have asked locals not to approach at least 5km from the volcano’s crater because the air in the area is dangerous for vulnerable people due to the dust from the volcanic ash.

Rescue services sent aid to the area in food, masks and corpses.

The height of Semeros, which is the highest mountain in Java, is 3,676 meters.

The last major eruption of Semeros occurred in December 2020. It had caused the evacuation of thousands of people even then and the authorities had since maintained in the second highest level the level of alarm in the area for a volcanic eruption.

Source: AMPE

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Source From: Capital

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