On December 5, officials from Indonesia's local Search and Rescue Agency said the death toll from the Marapi volcano eruption in the country increased to 22 after nine more bodies were discovered.
According to Mr. Abdul Malik, head of the Padang search and rescue agency, authorities discovered that 9 out of 10 missing people were dead that afternoon and are searching for the remaining person.
The Marapi volcano spewed a column of ash 3,000 meters high, higher than the volcano itself, on December 4. A total of 75 people have been on the mountain since December 2, most of whom have been brought down, but some have suffered burns and injuries. Search and rescue operations have been hampered by continued volcanic activity and bad weather. According to the Marapi volcano monitoring station, the volcano erupted five times between midnight and 8 a.m. on December 5.
Standing at 2,891 metres above sea level, Marapi is the most active volcano on the island of Sumatra. Indonesia lies on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, which is a frequent site of geological activity and volcanic eruptions. The country is home to nearly 130 active volcanoes.
According to Tin Tuc newspaper