Indonesia volcanic eruption kills 14, hundreds flee

At least 14 people have been killed by the eruption of Indonesia’s Semeru volcano, according to the disaster mitigation agency.

Semeru threw up towers of ash and hot clouds that blanketed nearby villages in East Java.

The eruption severed a strategic bridge connecting the nearby district of Lumajang with the city of Malang.

Hundreds of buildings were damaged or destroyed.

BNPB official Abdul Muhari said 14 people had been killed. Ninety-eight were injured, including two pregnant women, and 1300 have been evacuated.

Other obstacles include heavy rocks and hot volcanic sediment that is limiting movement.

Emergency service footage from one village on Sunday showed a desolate scene, with roofs of houses protruding from the coat of mud that had destroyed them.

Local residents report rescue efforts are “very dire” because of the severed bridge and volunteers lacking experience.

BNPB will rebuild the wrecked homes, and heavy equipment, including excavators and bulldozers, is being deployed, its chief said.

Indonesia President Joko Widodo has ordered authorities to find and treat victims.

Semeru started emitting hot clouds and lava flows near its rivers recently, and the country’s volcanology centre warned people not to go near it.

Indonesia’s transportation ministry says the eruption caused no disruption ton flights, though pilots have been alerted to watch out for the ash fall.

Semeru is more than 3,600 metres high, is one of Indonesia’s nearly 130 active volcanoes.

Indonesia straddles the “Pacific Ring of Fire”, a highly seismically active zone, where different plates on the earth’s crust meet and create a large number of earthquakes and volcanoes.