Indonesian volcano erupts in clouds of searing ash and gas, kills seven
24 May 2016 1:40 PM IST
One of the victims succumbed to their wounds by nightfall, taking the official toll to seven, local disaster mitigation agency chief said.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for survivors in scorched villages and devastated farmlands after a volcano erupted in clouds of searing ash and gas, killing seven and leaving others fighting life-threatening burns.- Sinabung roared back to life in 2010 for the first time in 400 years. After another period of inactivity it erupted once more in 2013, and has remained highly active since.
- Residents were ordered to evacuate Gamber in late 2014 due to the unacceptable risk from lava flows, dense ash and falling volcanic rock.
- The villagers who managed to survive were running around in panic, trying to save themselves, says officials.
- Those worst affected were all farming within the red zone, an area four kilometres from Sinabung declared off limits by authorities when the volcano erupted.
- The fast-moving flows reaching temperatures of up to 700 degrees Celsius incinerated homes and left livestock blackened and peeling.
- The eruptions were so violent that townships as far away as 12 kilometres were covered in thick layers of ash.
- Head of the local military in the Karo district, where the volcano is situated, Agustatius Sitepu arrived to scenes of chaos as rescue crews raced to reach those left alive.
- Witnesses have described sheer panic as waves of gas and fine rock were unleashed from Mount Sinabung on Sumatra Island, consuming farmers trying to flee the slopes of the highly active volcano.
Indonesian rescuers are searching for survivors in scorched villages and devastated farmlands after a volcano erupted in clouds of searing ash and gas, killing seven and leaving others fighting life-threatening burns.
One of the victims succumbed to their wounds by nightfall, taking the official toll to seven, local disaster mitigation agency chief said.
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