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11 hikers killed in Marapi eruption in Sumatra, 12 still missing
Search and rescue efforts continue for the 12 hikers still missing since Mt. Marapi erupted on Sunday, killing 11 out of 75 hikers who started climbing the volcano on Saturday.
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Rescuers prepare for a search and rescue operation after Mount Marapi erupted near Batu Palano village in Agam, West Sumatra on December 4, 2023. (AFP/Adi Prima)
T
he bodies of at least 11 hikers were found on Monday after Mount Marapi erupted on Sunday, while authorities race to rescue another dozen hikers still trapped on the slopes of the West Sumatra volcano.
Mt. Marapi, an active volcano that stands at a height of 2,891 meters above sea level, spewed plumes of white and gray ash 3,000 meters into the sky when it erupted on Sunday.
A search and rescue (SAR) operation involving personnel from the Padang Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) and the Padang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), as well as volunteers, was launched on Sunday evening to locate the 75 hikers who had started climbing the mountain on Saturday.
The SAR team had evacuated 49 hikers as of Sunday, some with injuries such as burns and broken limbs.
Among the survivors is Zhafirah Zahrim Febrina, who asked for help in a video post that went viral on Sunday. Zhafirah appears in the clip covered in volcanic ash and struggling to breathe. She reportedly recorded the video herself to let her mother know of her condition.
Read also: 11 hikers dead after Marapi volcano erupts, survivors found
Basarnas Padang head Abdul Malik said the team found Zhafirah weak and with burns, and that she was currently being treated at the regional general hospital in the nearby city of Padang Panjang.
