COVID intercepts Indonesian people fleeing Semeru’s ashes | Environmental News

Surabaya, Indonesia – Dugijan, a farmer from Curuk Kobokan, Indonesia, at the foot of the Semeru volcano in Indonesia, was awakened by the sound of a deafening explosion in his house.

He stumbled through the door and saw his friends and neighbors run to safety when the mountain began to explode, it threw ash and volcanic debris 4 miles (2.5 miles) into the bright sky.

“The road was dark and covered with mud and ash. People were running and shouting. It was raining and lightning was making lightning around the mountain. It was like Judgment Day, ”the 60-year-old told Al Jazeera.

“I thought I wouldn’t get it. It was raining stones and I wasn’t strong enough to run anymore. So I started walking slowly and left everything in God’s hands. ”

He approached a nearby farmhouse, where he had been sheltered for three hours before help arrived, and Dugijan saw some people walking beside him burnt and covered with blisters from the heat of the thick cloud of ash that was coming down. on the villagers.

“I still can’t believe what happened. I can’t go back, I’m too scared. I’m old and I’m waiting for my time, but don’t let it be like this, ”he said.

The eruption took place on Saturday evening, killed at least 34 people, with dozens still missing.

According to Indonesian authorities, more than 3,000 people have been displaced as the ash and mud continue to cover the village, complicating the rescue and raising doubts among experts. Covid-19 Pandemic.

Dr. Irandi Putra Pratomo, chief physician of the Pulmonology Unit at COVID-19 Task Force and Depok Universitas Indonesia Hospital near the capital Jakarta, said doctors are still debating whether the rash could cause an increase in COVID-19 cases. , or increased symptoms of COVID-19 in patients.

“We are still unsure whether the COVID-19 virus and volcanic ash will interact with each other,” he told Al Jazeera.

“But we already know that volcanic eruptions can cause acute breathing in the lungs.”

Health complications

He said the study of the impact of volcanic ash on Iran from the lungs is quite advanced in Indonesia, as the country is in the Pacific Ring of Fire and often sees seismic activities, including volcanic eruptions, which means that ash fall is something many residents have. the archipelago can live.

Volcanic ash is made up of gases and small particles, which can contain crystals and glass, and can have a dangerous effect on the respiratory system.

In a volcanic eruption and ash-affected patients, Iran has said it needs advanced breathing aids, including bronchoscopy, the insertion of a thin tube into its nose or mouth, including a medical procedure to observe and treat respiratory injuries locally. .

For non-emergency cases, patients are usually treated as if they had a lung infection using traditional lung treatments such as antibiotics and anti-inflammatory drugs.

COVID-19 is also known to be a respiratory disease that causes inflammation and injury to the lungs, known as Acute Respiratory Disease Syndrome (ARDS).

As a result, people who have suffered lung damage and scarring after contracting COVID-19 or are still in the recovery phase of the virus may be at increased risk of worsening symptoms as a result of volcanic eruptions, the doctor said.

Indonesia has reported more than 4.2 million coronavirus cases since the pandemic began and more than 140,000 deaths. According to the Ministry of Health, more than 100 million people are fully vaccinated with a population of over 260 million.

Relocation of residents

There may be other reasons why the eruption of Mount Semeru could exacerbate the COVID-19 pandemic in Indonesia: the relocation of large parts of its population.

One of the displaced residents, Siyamti Anggraeni, 30, lived on the slopes of Mount Semeru in the village of Curah Kobokan.

He had seen the mountain explode three times before, but told Al Jazeera that he had never seen anything as frightening as the events of Saturday afternoon.

“They hit the roof of my house with pebbles. I don’t know how many miles I did with the others in my town. We could barely see anything because the ash cloud was very thick, ”he told Al Jazeera.

“The air felt very hot. Many of my neighbors are still missing. Ash and mud are as high as a house in some places. We can’t look for anything because the mud is still hot. “

Siyamti and her family are in a common room in the East Java town of Penanggal, along with about 30 other people.

Dr. Irandi is concerned that the proximity to which the evacuees have been forced to stay could put COVID-19 of other evacuees at risk.

A study by the Rwandan Institute of Applied Sciences and Jomo Kenyatta University of Agriculture and Technology in October 2021 found Nyiragongo It erupted in the Democratic Republic of Congo in May, with an increase in COVID-19 cases in neighboring Rwanda. About 8,000 Congolese crossed the border to escape the volcano, increasing the spread of the virus, the researchers said.

Although preliminary studies and doctors are aware of the dangers of inhaling ash after a volcanic eruption, it will be some time before the true impact of Mount Semeru erupts in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We don’t have clear evidence of all the risks,” he said.

More than 30 people were killed in the eruption on Saturday evening, and dozens are still missing. [Photo courtesy of the East Java Regional Disaster Management Agency]