Indonesia: Rescue officials have reported that over 14 individuals, including multiple children, lost their lives in western Indonesia due to flash floods and cold lava flow from a volcano. Numerous others are also missing.
Following hours of intense rain, the tragedy struck the West Sumatra province’s Agam and Tanah Datar districts at approximately 10:30 p.m. (15:30 GMT) on Saturday, causing a flash flood and a frigid lava flow from Mount Marapi, according to a statement released on Sunday by the Basarnas search and rescue agency.
Volcanic debris such as ash, sand, and stones that are swept down a volcano’s slopes by rain is called cold lava, or lahar.
The Indonesian media outlet Sumbar cited Ilham Wahab, the chairman of the Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency in West Sumatra, as stating that as of Sunday morning, at least 14 persons have been reported dead.
Three and eight-year-old remains were among the nine bodies that were recognized, according to Abdul Malik, the head of the local rescue organization.
He claimed that four other people in the Agam district are also being searched. “We will carry out the search in the two districts again today.”
West Sumatra’s streets were covered higher than the volcano itself, Marapi erupted in December, launching an ash tower 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) into the sky. The explosion claimed the lives of at least 24 climbers, most of whom were college students.
In a different tragic event that happened on Saturday night, a bus carrying more than sixty high school students and their professors on a graduation trip collapsed on Java, the largest island in Indonesia, resulting in at least 11 fatalities and several injuries in thick muck and big pebbles, as seen in images and videos shared on social media.
Only two months have passed since the same island was struck by another fatal flooding incident. To locate the missing victims and move people to shelters, authorities sent out rubber boats and a crew of rescuers.
In various locations throughout the two districts, the local authorities established emergency posts and evacuation centres.
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