Indonesian rescuers dig through volcanic ash after eruption kills 9 and destroys buildings
Rescue workers are sifting through smoldering debris and thick mud in search of survivors a day after a volcano on Indonesia’s island of Flores erupted, killing at least nine people with its searing lava and ash
MAUMERE, Indonesia (AP) — Rescue workers on Tuesday sifted through smoldering debris and thick mud in search of survivors, a day after a volcano on Indonesia’s island of Flores erupted, killing at least nine people with its searing lava and ash.
Mount Lewotobi Laki Laki spewed thick brownish ash as high as 2,000 meters (6,500 feet) and searing lava, gravel and ash were thrown up to seven kilometers (4.3 miles) from its crater, blanketing nearby villages and towns with tons of volcanic debris and forcing residents to flee.
The National Disaster Management Agency on Tuesday lowered the death toll from an earlier report of 10, saying a victim trapped under tons of debris in a collapsed house who was feared dead was rescued in critical condition. The agency said 63 other people were hospitalized, 31 of them with serious injuries.
More than 2,400 villagers streamed into makeshift emergency shelters after Monday's eruption that burned down seven schools and 23 houses, including a convent of nuns, on the majority-Catholic island, said the agency’s spokesperson, Abdul Muhari.
