The bodies of 11 climbers were found Monday a day after Mount Marapi’s massive eruption as Indonesian rescuers searched for 12 apparently still missing.
Marapi remains at the third-highest of four alert levels since 2011, a level that indicates above-normal volcanic activity and prohibits climbers or villagers within 1.8 miles of the summit, said Hendra Gunawan, head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation.
“This means there is no need to climb to the top,” Gunawan said, adding that climbers are only allowed below the danger zone, “but sometimes many of them break the rules to fulfill their satisfaction of climbing further.”
About 75 climbers had started their journey up the nearly 9,480-foot mountain on Saturday and became stranded.
Eight of those rescued Sunday were rushed to hospital with burns and one also suffered a broken limb, said Hari Agustian, an official at the local Search and Rescue Agency in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province.
About 75 climbers had started their journey up the nearly 9,480-foot mountain on Saturday and became stranded. AFP via Getty Images
All climbers had registered at the two command posts or online through the West Sumatra conservation agency before they climbed, Agustian said.
It is possible that other people are taking illegal routes or locals are active in the area, but it cannot be confirmed, he said.
Marapi spewed a thick column of ash 9,800 feet high in Sunday’s eruption and the hot ash cloud spread several miles.
Indonesian rescue teams evacuate victims of the Mount Marapi eruption in Agam, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, on Dec 4, 2023. via REUTERS
Nearby villages and towns were covered by a lot of volcanic debris. Volcanic dust and rain drenched the faces and hair of evacuated climbers, according to videos on social media.
Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, and authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear goggles to protect them from the volcanic ash.
About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest village about 3.1 to 3.7 miles from the summit.
Rescue teams evacuate injured victims in West Sumatra, Indonesia, on Dec. 4. 2023. Xinhua/Shutterstock
Gunawan said last Sunday’s eruption was not preceded by a significant increase in volcanic earthquakes.
Deep volcanic earthquakes were recorded only three times between November 16 and on Sunday, while the deformation equipment or tiltmeter on the summit showed a horizontal pattern on the radial axis and a slight inflation on the tangential axis.
“This shows that the eruption process happened quickly and the pressure center was very shallow, around the summit,” he said.
Volcanic ash spews from Mount Marapi during an eruption as seen from Batu Palano village in Agam on Dec 4, 2023. AFP via Getty Images
Marapi has been observed regularly erupting since 2004 with gaps ranging from 2 to 4 years, Gunawan said.
“Marapi eruptions are always sudden and difficult to detect using equipment because the source is near the surface,” said Gunawan, “This eruption is not caused by the movement of magma.”
West Sumatra Search and Rescue Agency chief Abdul Malik said rescuers found 11 bodies of climbers as they searched for those still missing and rescued three others on Monday morning.
“The process of transferring bodies and survivors is still continuing,” he said, adding that rescuers were still looking for 12 climbers who were reported to be still missing.
Marapi has been active since the January eruption which caused no casualties.
It is among more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is vulnerable to seismic disturbances due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, a volcanic arc and fault line that encircles the Pacific Basin.
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Source: thtrangdai.edu.vn/en/
