Hours of heavy rain over the weekend displaced chunks of volcanic rock and sent them hurtling down into the settlements below, while a nearby river breached its banks and sent floodwater gushing through the streets.
Those who were not killed by the cold lava
were swept away by a flood that overran roads, homes and mosques, ultimately
submerging almost 200 buildings and dozens of cars.
Photos showed cars sitting on piles of debris, with some vehicles completely submerged in cold lava – also known as lahar, a mix of ash, sand and pebbles carried down a volcano during heavy rains.
With the death toll still climbing, 17
people remain missing in the Agam district and Tanah Datar.
The search is continuing for
survivors.
Ilham Wahab, a West Sumatra disaster
mitigation agency official, said yesterday: “Data as of last night, we recorded
37 dead victims… But from this morning it has grown again, the figure reached
41.
“We are focused on first, searching and
rescuing the victims, second, protecting the evacuees, protecting the
vulnerable people.”
Emergency posts and evacuation centers have
been set up in the affected areas.
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