23 feared dead in Indonesia volcano eruption as more climbers’ bodies uncovered
- Rescuers found 11 more bodies near the eruption site on Mount Marapi, which spewed out fresh bursts of hot ash in recent days
- One climber remained missing and was presumed dead because of being very close to the eruption site
Rescuers searching the hazardous slopes of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano found 11 more bodies of climbers who were caught by a surprise weekend eruption, raising the number of confirmed dead to 22, officials said on Tuesday. One person remained missing.
More than 50 climbers were rescued after the initial eruption Sunday, and 11 others were initially confirmed dead. New eruptions on Monday and Tuesday spewed more hot ash as high as 800 metres (2,620 feet) into the air, reducing visibility and temporarily halting search and recovery operations, said Abdul Malik, chief of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency.
The bodies of two climbers were located on Monday and nine more on Tuesday, the National Search and Rescue Agency said.
One climber remained missing and was presumed dead because of being very close to the eruption site, said Edi Mardianto, the deputy police chief in West Sumatra province.
The recovered bodies will be taken to a hospital for identification, he said.
