MONITORING (SW) – Thirteen climbers have been declared dead since the Mount Merapi volcano erupted in Indonesia on Sunday.
The bodies of the two hikers were found late on Monday, December 4, the head of the Local Rescue Service said.
“The total number of people who have died is currently 13,” Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency, told AFP news agency on Tuesday, adding that 10 hikers were still missing, while 52 have been evacuated.
The rescue mission is being hampered by further volcanic activity and bad weather.
Eleven bodies were found on Monday near the crater of Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra, while several others were found alive and carried down the mountain.
The volcano spewed an ash tower 3,000 meters (9,800 feet) – taller than the volcano itself – into the sky on Sunday. It was the deadliest eruption since 1979, when another one killed 60 people.
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