There were no reported victims or deceased from the eruption of Mount Marapi on Sunday. However, rescuers did recover the body of a man buried under mud and rocks from flash floods and landslides in a village near Lake Toba on Sumatra island. : “Volcano eruption in western Indonesia sends ash three kilometers into the sky”

Death – Obituary – Accident and Crime News : A volcano in western Indonesia erupted on Sunday, sending a massive column of ash into the sky. Mount Marapi, located on the island of Sumatra, spewed ash up to three kilometers above its peak, according to officials from Indonesia’s Centre of Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation. Thankfully, there have been no reports of damage or casualties thus far.

The eruption occurred at 2:54 pm local time and the volcano is currently on the third-highest alert level in Indonesia’s four-step system. As a precautionary measure, authorities have established an exclusion zone around Marapi’s crater. Communities and tourists are prohibited from hiking within a three-kilometer radius of the volcano.

Ash rain was observed following the eruption, reaching as far as Bukittinggi city, the third-largest city in West Sumatra. Ahmad Rifandi, an official at the Mount Marapi monitoring station, has advised people in the area to wear hats, glasses, and masks as a precaution.

Mount Marapi, which translates to “Mountain of Fire”, is the most active volcano on Sumatra island. Indonesia, being located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, experiences high volcanic and seismic activity due to the meeting of continental plates. The country is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.

In a separate incident on Sunday, rescuers discovered the body of a man buried under tons of mud and rocks following flash floods and a landslide in a village on Sumatra island. The disaster was triggered by torrential rain, causing mud, rocks, and trees to cascade down from a mountain. The floods damaged at least 35 houses, a church, a school, and a hotel.

Rescue efforts have been underway to locate the 11 people who are still missing. Rescuers have utilized excavators, dogs, and divers equipped with sonar detection to search for victims. The National Disaster Management Agency reported that the landslide and flash floods have forced approximately 55 families to seek shelter in a temporary government facility.

Flooding and landslides are common in Indonesia during the rainy season, which typically lasts from October to March. The 1,145-square-kilometer Lake Toba, formed from an ancient super volcano, is a popular tourist attraction on Sumatra island. The Indonesian government is actively working to develop natural attractions like Lake Toba to attract more international tourists to the country.

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