JAKARTA, Dec. 4 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's search and rescue department confirmed on the 4th that Mount Malapi in West Sumatra Province erupted on the afternoon of the 3rd, killing at least 11 people and leaving 12 missing.
In an interview with Xinhua News Agency, Abdul Malik, head of the search and rescue department in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra Province, said that the Malapi volcano suddenly erupted violently on the afternoon of the 3rd, and there were 75 climbers on the volcano at that time, of which 49 had descended that night.
After the eruption, the Padang Search and Rescue Bureau, together with the West Sumatra Provincial Military Police, volunteers and medical personnel, formed a joint rescue team of more than 100 people to carry out search and evacuation work, Malik said. On the morning of the 4th, rescuers found 14 of the climbers who had not been evacuated, 11 of whom died, some of the burned climbers have been taken to the hospital for acceptance**, and 12 climbers are missing. Due to another small-scale eruption of Malapi volcano on the morning of the 4th, the search and rescue and evacuation work has been suspended.
Indonesia's National Disaster Resilience Agency issued a notice on the evening of the 3rd, saying that Malapi Volcano suddenly erupted violently at 14:54 local time, spewing out a volcanic ash column as high as 3,000 meters. Footage broadcast on local television showed the eruption violently, smoke billowing into the air, and nearby roads and cars covered in ash. Indonesia's volcano monitoring department prohibits residents from traveling to areas within 3 kilometers of the crater.
Indonesia is one of the most volcanic countries in the world, with 129 active volcanoes within its borders. At 2,891 meters above sea level, Malapi is one of the most active volcanoes in Indonesia.
*:Xinhua.