Cold lava sweeps villages near Indonesian volcano, killing at least 37 people
At least 37 people have died after flash floods and cold lava flowing from a volcano hit the western Indonesian island of Sumatra.
Saturday saw hours of heavy rain which swept torrents of ash and rocks down Mount Marapi, the most active volcano in Sumatra.
The cold lava mudslides inundated two districts, swept people to their deaths and damaged more than 100 homes, mosques and public facilities.
The death toll could continue to rise, as 18 people remain missing.
- Mount Marapi: Eleven hikers killed as volcano erupts in Indonesia
- A Space For The Unbound review – intimate Indonesian magical realism
Survivors recounted how they fled as the cold lava – a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles that flow down a volcano’s slopes in the rain – flowed towards their homes.
“I heard the thunder and the sound similar to boiling water. It was the sound of big rocks falling from Mount Marapi,” Rina Devina, a 43-year-old housewife from the Agam district told AFP news agency.
“It was pitch black, so I used my cellphone as a torch. The road was muddy, so I chanted ‘God, have mercy’ over and over again,” Ms Devina said.
By Sunday afternoon, rescuers had found 19 bodies in the worst-hit village of Canduang in Agam district and recovered nine other bodies in the neighbouring district of Tanah Datar, according to the National Search and Rescue Agency.
Heavy rain in Indonesia over the weekend triggered flash flooding and sent torrents of cold lava coursing down a volcano and into towns, killing at least 37 people, officials said. https://t.co/iYdQCtdQtg pic.twitter.com/MlB4itrbSf
— The New York Times (@nytimes) May 13, 2024
