11 hikers found dead after Indonesia volcano eruption

WORLD, Dec. 04 (YPA) – At least 11 hikers have been found dead after a volcano erupted in western Indonesia, AFP reported, citing a local rescue official on Monday.

“There are 26 people who have not been evacuated, we have found 14 of them, three were found alive and 11 were found dead,” said Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency, speaking a day after the eruption.

He said there were a total of 75 hikers on the mountain from Saturday who rescue workers were trying to account for.

Twelve were still missing and 49 had descended, some of whom had been taken to hospital, he said.

Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra, with a peak of 2,891 metres (9,484 feet), erupted Sunday sending a tower of ash 3,000 metres into the sky.

The last major eruption of Merapi volcano dates back to 2010, when it killed more than 300 people and evacuated about 280,000 others.

E.M