The death toll from the Indonesian volcanic eruption has risen New Galleries

After the death toll eruption of the highest volcano It has risen to 13 on Indonesia’s most populous island in Java, with seven people still missing, authorities said on Sunday, burning debris and thick mud were hampering search work.

Semeru mountain Thick columns of ash were thrown into the sky in the Lumajang district of East Java province, more than 12,000 meters (40,000 feet), and horrible gas and lava spilled down its slopes on Saturday after a sudden eruption caused by heavy rains. Several villages were covered with falling ashes.

A thunderstorm and a rainy day, which eroded and eventually collapsed a 3,676-meter (12,060-foot) lava dome over Semeru, caused an eruption, led by Eko Budi Lelono, head of the geological research center.

Gas and lava flows said at least 800 meters (2,624 feet) had passed through a nearby river at least twice on Saturday. People were advised to be within 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) of the mouth of the crater, the agency said.

“The thick columns of ash have turned several dark villages,” said Thoriqul Haq Lumajang district chief. Hundreds of people were taken to temporary shelters or relocated to other safe areas, he said, when a power outage prevented them from evacuating.

The debris and lava mixed with precipitation formed thick mud, destroying the main bridge that connects Lumajang and the neighboring Malang district, as well as the smaller bridge, Haq said.

Although activity has increased since Wednesday, Semeru’s alert status has remained at three levels since the eruption began last year, and Indonesia’s Geological Risk Mitigation Center has not risen this week, Lelono said.

Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Relief Agency, said at least 13 people had been killed in severe burns and 57 were admitted to hospital, including 16 in critical condition. He said rescuers were looking for seven residents and sand miners across a river in the village of Curah Kobokan who were still missing.

Entire homes in the village were damaged by volcanic ash and more than 900 people fled to government temporary shelters, Muhari said.

Liswanto, Semeru’s head of surveillance post, said his office had informed the community and miners that hot ash could fall from Semeru’s crater at any time after the sensors intensified activity last week.

But some residents who fled to a government shelter near the Lumajang district headquarters said authorities did not inform them of volcanic activity.

Adita Irawati, a spokesman for the Ministry of Transport, said his office had issued a warning to all airlines on Saturday to prevent routes near the volcano. He said the flight operations were continuing as planned and that the authorities would continue to monitor the situation.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 270 million people, is prone to earthquakes volcanic activity In the “Ring of Fire” of the Pacific Ocean, it is located in a series of horseshoe-shaped fault lines.