Rescue teams continued their search on Wednesday (Dec 6) for the sole remaining missing hiker following a Indonesia volcano eruption that claimed the lives of 22 others. However, as three days had passed since the disaster, hopes of locating the missing individual were diminishing.
Mount Marapi, situated on the island of Sumatra, erupted on Sunday, propelling an ash tower 3,000m into the sky—surpassing the volcano’s own height. At the time of the eruption, 75 people were hiking in the vicinity.
Despite the challenging circumstances of Indonesia volcano , hundreds of rescuers have been tirelessly working to locate the missing hikers. The search efforts have been particularly difficult due to subsequent eruptions and adverse weather conditions, prompting rescue workers to seek intermittent shelter.
Abdul Malik, the head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency, addressed reporters, emphasizing the uncertainty surrounding the whereabouts of the last missing victim amid numerous rumors and unclear reports.
On Tuesday evening, Suharyono, the West Sumatra police chief, hinted that the last hiker might be presumed dead. Nevertheless, officials conducting the rescue operations on-site had not yet verified this information. Suharyono expressed a sense of helplessness, stating that they suspected 23 people had died. We all prayed for their rescue, but we could do nothing; God and nature had made a decision.
As of Wednesday morning, the volcano, known as the Mountain of Fire, continued to emit a column of smoke into the sky, as reported by an AFP journalist on the scene.