Bad weather prevents rescue and searches efforts at the Indonesia volcano.
Indonesia – Heavy rain and wind temporarily halted rescue operations following the volcano Semeru in Indonesia.
The eruption killed 14 people over the weekend. However, officials urged residents to remain vigilant as the danger was still present.
Saturday saw Java’s tallest mountain eruption, erupting in a dramatic explosion that hurled a column of ash into space.
It blanketed nearby villages with ash. The eruption left more than 50 people with burns and other injuries.
Aerial footage showed roofs rising out of an ashen landscape. At the same time, residents, officers, and police dug through the mud to rescue victims.
Liswanto of the Semeru Volcano Observatory warned people to stay away from the mountain on Monday.
However, there were reports that anxious residents returned to their homes to inspect their belongings.
“The status at Mt. Semeru remains at level 2. This means that people must be more vigilant as the threat to their lives is still present,” he stated.
The lava flows destroyed a strategic bridge linking two areas of Lumajang to Malang.
Strong winds destroyed two trucks that were half-buried in volcanic ash in Sumberwuluh.
Dewa Arya from the search-and-rescue agency said Monday that his team was trying to rescue a family of five victims. However, their efforts were temporarily stalled by bad weather.
People shared photos of missing relatives on Facebook with pleas for information.
For more than 1,000 people who were displaced, shared kitchens and health centers have been established.
CNN Indonesia reported that a trauma healing team had been deployed to assist children affected by the eruption.
Hundreds of aid packages have also been sent to the region, including rice, blankets, clothes, and other essentials.
Semeru is one of the more than 100 active volcanoes of Indonesia. It’s located in an area called the Pacific Ring of Fire.
This region has high seismic activity and rests on multiple tectonic plates.
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