Indonesia - At least eleven hikers killed in volcanic eruption
At least eleven hikers have died in the eruption of the Marapi volcano on the Indonesian island of Sumatra. Twelve others are still missing on the mountain of fire, said Abdul Malik, head of the national rescue services, in the provincial capital of Padang. Around 50 other hikers were evacuated after the eruption. It was not initially known exactly how the victims died.
The volcano, which is almost 3,000 meters high, erupted early Sunday afternoon and spewed an ash cloud around three kilometers high into the sky. The authorities then immediately set up an exclusion zone of three kilometers around the crater. A rain of ash fell in various districts around the volcano. The sky also darkened at times. Residents were asked to stay indoors.
One of the most active volcanoes
According to measurements, Marapi erupted for almost five minutes. According to the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG), the volcano's activity has increased since January. Marapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Sumatra. It last erupted in 2018. At that time, volcanic ash rose up to five kilometers above the crater level.
On the main Indonesian island of Java, there is a volcano with a very similar name: Merapi, one of the most dangerous volcanoes on earth. The world's largest island state lies on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions occur frequently along this belt. There are around 130 active volcanoes in Indonesia.
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Source: www.stern.de
