One person has died and dozens are injured after a volcano erupted on Indonesia’s Java island, officials said on Saturday. Residents were filmed fleeing a giant ash cloud from Mt Semeru.
According to BBC News, Witnesses described nearby villages covered in debris, and thick smoke blotting out the Sun, leaving them in pitch darkness. The deputy chief of Lumajang district put the number of injured at 41, saying they had suffered burns. Indah Masdar called for helicopters to help rescue at least 10 people trapped in buildings.
According to Yahoo News, Witnesses described nearby villages covered in debris, and thick smoke blotting out the Sun, leaving them in pitch darkness.
The deputy chief of Lumajang district put the number of injured at 41, saying they had suffered burns. Indah Masdar called for helicopters to help rescue at least 10 people trapped in buildings. “We’re in big distress,” she said. “It’s harrowing, their families are all crying.”
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) later said it knew of 35 people being treated at local medical facilities. Evacuation efforts have been hampered by choking smoke, a power blackout, and rainstorms during the eruption which turned the debris into mud.
