11 Climbers Found Dead on Mt Marapi, Evacuation Continues: SAR Office

TheIndonesia.co - The Padang City Search and Rescue (SAR) Office confirmed on Monday that 11 climbers were found dead on Mount Marapi in West Sumatra after the volcano erupted on Sunday (December 3).

"During the search operation concluding at 7:10 this morning, the joint team found three survivors and 11 fatalities," said Abdul Malik, head of the SAR office, as quoted by Antara.

Malik added that of the 75 rescued by his team, 49 were successfully evacuated.

He said that some of the evacuated climbers were taken to hospitals in Bukittinggi City and Padang Panjang City to receive intensive care. Some other climbers have returned to their homes.

"Currently, the team is still in the process of evacuating victims from the top of Mount Marapi," he remarked.

Malik said that the joint team is still searching for 12 climbers whose whereabouts are yet unknown.

Regarding the 11 victims who died, he could not yet provide details on the identity of the victims, as they were still in the data collection stage.

Based on data from the SAR office, 49 climbers that were successfully evacuated comprised Iqbal, Jeni, Toni Alifian, Al Fajri, Selastri Anggini, Nur Rizki, Muhammad Suyudi, Shadam Romeigo, Adipatiawarman, Muhammad Alif, Lingga Duta Andrefa, Muhammad Faith Ewaldo, Elika Maharani, Dewi Anggraini, and Naomi Johana Simanjuntak.

Sri Wahyuni, Banget Hasiholan Mare-Mare, Nolianus Hogejau, Lolita Veronica, Nabila Habibba Rabbi, Diyah Surya Purnama Sari, Noor Annisa Alsyarrina Putri Lubis, Didik Salahudin, Happy Nurafni, Irwan, Syaiful Anwar, Lili, Ahmad Albar, Edho Rustamsyah, Deswita, Kasih, Brima Danu, Ikhwanudin, Firnando Situmorang, and Widya Azhamul Fadilah Zain were also evacuated.

Moreover, the evacuation of Rexy Wendesta, Irvanda Mulya, Bima Pratama Nasra, Tita Cahyani, Zulfadil Alzukri, Michael Ahmad Zofthi, Hendra, Rofid Alhakim, Rahmat Agus, Chandra Sahiloho, Lidia Fatmasari, Zhafirah Zahrim Febrina, Aditya Sukirno Putra, and Muhammad Fadli was successful.

On Sunday, Mount Marapi in Agam, West Sumatra, erupted and spewed rocks and sand within a radius of three kilometers, with an activity level II (Alert).

The volcano erupted with the height of the ash column observed to be approximately three thousand meters above the mountain peak, or around 5,891 above sea level.