6-12-2023 (JAKARTA) Indonesian rescue teams are tirelessly searching for the last missing hiker as hope dwindles three days after a devastating volcano eruption claimed the lives of 22 individuals.
Mount Marapi, situated on the island of Sumatra, unleashed a towering ash column that reached a height of 3,000 meters, surpassing even the volcano’s peak, on Sunday. At the time, 75 hikers were exploring the area.
For days, hundreds of rescuers have been diligently working to locate the missing hikers. The arduous search operation has been hindered by subsequent eruptions and inclement weather, forcing workers to seek shelter intermittently.
Abdul Malik, the head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency, addressed the media, stating, “There were many rumors and unclear reports. Let us make it clear, we still don’t know the whereabouts of this one victim.”
Late on Tuesday, West Sumatra police chief Suharyono informed reporters that the last hiker was feared dead, although rescue officials on the ground have not confirmed this information.
“23 people are suspected to have died. We all prayed they all could be rescued, but there was nothing we could do. God and nature had made a decision,” Suharyono expressed.
On Wednesday morning, an AFP journalist observed that the volcano, aptly named Mount Marapi or “Mountain of Fire,” was still emitting a column of smoke into the sky.
“Some Jumped”
Out of the 75 hikers present during the eruption, 52 have been successfully rescued. Some survivors have shared their harrowing experiences and the panic that ensued when the volcanic activity commenced.
Ridho, 22, who is currently recovering in a nearby hospital, recounted, “I was zig-zagging, going down around 30 to 40 meters to a trekking post. The eruption sounded loud, I took a look behind and then immediately ran away as everyone did. Some jumped and fell. I took cover behind the rocks; there were no trees there.”
Suharyono revealed on Tuesday evening that two of the hikers were police officers, one of whom survived, while the other is suspected to have perished. “They both just wanted to see the volcano; they were off duty,” he stated.
“One of them survived and had a broken arm; he is being treated by doctors. For the other one, we suspected he died. Let’s wait for confirmation.”
Hendra Gunawan, the head of Indonesia’s volcanology agency, stated that Marapi has been at the second level of a four-tier alert system since 2011, and a three-kilometer exclusion zone had been imposed around its crater. Gunawan seemed to place some responsibility on the hikers for venturing too close to the crater, noting that the agency had advised against any activity in that area.
The official count of hikers provided by authorities was sourced from an online registration system, but officials cautioned that there may have been more individuals on unauthorized routes.
“Maybe there were hikers who were not registered, and sometimes illegal hikers did not want to pay; they just climbed,” Suharyono remarked.
Indonesia frequently experiences seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire,” where tectonic plates converge. Marapi is the most active volcano on Sumatra island and one of nearly 130 active volcanoes in the archipelago.
