A volcanic eruption in Indonesia killed 11 climbers and covered several villages with ash. Photos and videos

The eruption of Merapi volcano in Indonesia has killed 11 climbers and left 12 others missing. On Sunday, December 3, plumes of white and gray ash "spewed" from the volcano's crater, covering several nearby villages.

A rescue operation is underway in the province of West Sumatra, where the disaster is raging. This is reported by The Guardian.

It is noted that after Sunday's eruption, two routes for climbing the volcano were closed. People living on the slopes of Merapi were advised to stay 3 km away from the crater mouth due to potential lava.

However, 75 climbers who had started their journey to the 2,891-meter-high volcanic mountain the day before were on top. More than 160 people, including police and soldiers, were involved in the search for them.

"26 people were not evacuated, we found 14 of them: three alive and 11 dead. The 12 climbers are still missing," said Abdullah Malik, head of the search and rescue agency in the resort town of Padang, capital of West Sumatra.

Another agency spokesman added that eight of the rescued climbers were taken to the hospital with burns and one had a broken limb.

Online footage shows the climbers being evacuated, their faces and hair stained with volcanic dust and rain. Rescue teams worked through the night to help the climbers get down to safety.

About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Merapi, the nearest villages are located five to six kilometers from the summit.

The volcano's alert level is maintained at three out of four. Authorities are keeping a close eye on it after sensors detected its increasing activity in recent weeks.

The Merapi volcano in West Sumatra has been active since a January eruption that caused no casualties. It is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which is prone to seismic shocks due to its location in the Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines surrounding the Pacific basin.

As OBOZ.UA reported, in November, the Popocatepetl volcano erupted in Mexico. Volcanic ash rose into the sky to a height of more than 6 km.

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