The number of hikers found dead after a volcano eruption in Indonesia has risen to 22 after nine more bodies were found, a local search and rescue agency official said Tuesday.
“9 of 10 missing victims were found dead this afternoon and at the moment, they are being evacuated. There is one remaining victim currently in search,” Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency told AFP.
Eleven more dead have been discovered by Indonesian rescuers scouring Mount Marapi’s slopes following the volcano’s weekend outburst. There is still one missing person.
“We don’t expect to find any more survivors,” said Abdul Malik, the head of the local rescue service.More than 50 people were rescued from the mountain on Sunday, while 11 others were initially confirmed dead.“The safety of our team has to be our priority. It’s been raining incessantly since yesterday evening, making paths slippery and hindering the evacuation team,” Malik said.Rescuers had been focusing on a particularly popular rocky area where many climbers are thought to have camped.
