Indonesia volcano extrication obstructed by debris, dense mud

Key takeaways: 

• At the minimum 13 were killed after the Semeru volcano explodes on East Java island.
• The explosion in the Lumajang region of the East Java area left several villages covered with dropping ash.
• Mount Semeru, the highest volcano on Indonesia’s most highly populated island of Java, scattered dense lines of ash, burning gas and lava down its inclines in an unexpected explosion triggered by heavy rains on Saturday.

13 died after volcano eruption in Indonesia: 

Rescuers were hunting for survivors Sunday on the inclines of the giant volcano on Indonesia’s island of Java after it was shaken by an explosion that killed at least 13 people, as smouldering debris and dense mud hindered their works.

Mount Semeru in Lumajang district in the East Java region scattered thick lines of ash almost 12,000 metres into the sky, and searing gas and lava surged down its hills after a swift explosion Saturday triggered by heavy rains.

Villages and nearby towns were covered with dropping ash and various villages were hidden under tonnes of mud from volcanic ruins.

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Authorities advised the thousands of people who escaped the volcano’s rage not to turn during Sunday’s pause in volcanic action, but some villagers were frantic to check on livestock and possessions left behind. In some regions, everything — from the skinniest tree branch to sofas and chairs inside houses — was packed with ash.

The debris and lava combined with rainfall to make thick mud that damaged the central bridge joining Lumajang and the nearby district of Malang, as well as a shorter bridge, stated Thoriqul Haq, the district chief in Lumajang.

The explosion reduced the pressure that had been increasing under a lave dome that sat on the crater. But specialists suggested that the dome could still further drop, creating plenty of the blistering gas and debris caught under it.