Indonesia's Mount Merapi eruption leaves 11 climbers dead and several missing

Authorities raises alert to its second-highest level and prohibited residents from going within 3km of the crater

Indonesian pupils walk to school in Agam district, West Sumatra, which has been blanketed by volcanic ash from the Mount Merapi eruption. EPA

The body of a victim of the eruption of Mount Merapi lies in an ambulance in Nagari Batu Palano, Agam. Reuters

Rescuers prepare for a search and rescue operation after Mount Merapi erupted near Batu Palano village in Agam. AFP

Indonesian rescuers prepare to evacuate a survivor off Mount Merapi after it erupted on Sunday in Agam. EPA

Eleven climbers were found dead in Indonesia a day after the eruption of Mount Merapi. EPA

Rescuers found 14 climbers alive after the eruption. Reuters

A victim of the eruption of Mount Merapi receives medical treatment at the city regional general hospital in Padang Panjang, West Sumatra province. Reuters

Local and national agency officials raised the number of hikers believed to have been on the mountain at the time of the eruption to 75. EPA

Students are seen at school as Mount Marapi volcano spews volcanic ash as seen from Nagari Batu Palano in Agam, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, December 4, 2023, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Iggoy el Fitra/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN INDONESIA.

Rescuers evacuate a victim after the eruption of Mount Merapi in Agam, in West Sumatra province. Reuters

This handout picture taken and released on December 3, 2023 by Indonesia's National Disaster Agency shows an emergency vehicle driving past as volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Marapi on Sumatra island covers the village of Nagari Lasi in Agam Regency. A volcano in western Indonesia erupted on December 3, belching a column of ash around three kilometres into the sky and forcing the evacuation of dozens of hikers, officials said. (Photo by Handout / Indonesia's National Disaster Agency / AFP) / RESTRICTED TO EDITORIAL USE - MANDATORY CREDIT "AFP PHOTO / INDONESIA'S NATIONAL DISASTER AGENCY" - NO MARKETING - NO ADVERTISING CAMPAIGNS - DISTRIBUTED AS A SERVICE TO CLIENTS

Mount Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes on Sumatra island. Reuters

Mount Marapi volcano spews volcanic ash as seen from Nagari Batu Palano in Agam, West Sumatra province, Indonesia, December 4, 2023, in this photo taken by Antara Foto. Antara Foto/Iggoy el Fitra/via REUTERS ATTENTION EDITORS - THIS IMAGE HAS BEEN SUPPLIED BY A THIRD PARTY. MANDATORY CREDIT. INDONESIA OUT. NO COMMERCIAL OR EDITORIAL SALES IN INDONESIA.

Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, the National Disaster Management Agency said. AP

Eleven climbers have been found dead in Indonesia a day after the eruption of Mount Merapi, with rescuers searching for at least 12 others reportedly missing.

The 2,891-metre-high Mount Merapi, on the island of Sumatra, erupted on Sunday, shooting ash plumes as high as 3km and raining debris over nearby villages.

Local and national agency officials raised the number of hikers believed to be on the mountain to 75.

“There are 26 people who have not been evacuated. We have found 14 of them – three were found alive and 11 were found dead,” AFP quoted Abdul Malik, the head of Padang Search and Rescue Agency, as saying a day after the eruption.

A small eruption on Monday led the search being suspended, said Jodi Haryawan, spokesman for the search and rescue team.

"It's too dangerous if we continue searching now,” he said.

Authorities raised the alert to its second-highest level and prohibited residents from going within 3km of the crater.

Video footage showed a huge cloud of volcanic ash spread across the sky, as well as cars and roads covered with ash.

At least 49 climbers were evacuated from the area earlier on Monday, with many being treated for burns, he said.

Falling ash blanketed several villages and blocked sunlight, National Disaster Management Agency spokesman Abdul Muhari said.

Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear sunglasses to protect them from the volcanic ash, he said.

About 1,400 people live on Mount Merapi’s slopes in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages to the volcano, about 5km to 6km from the peak.

Mr Abdul Muhari confirmed that authorities had been closely monitoring the volcano after sensors picked up increasing activity in recent weeks.

Mount Merapi is one of the most active volcanoes on Sumatra island and its most violent eruption was in April 1979, when 60 people died.

This year, it erupted between January and February, spewing ash at a distance of up to 1km from the peak.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific's so-called “Ring of Fire” and has 127 active volcanoes, according to the volcanology agency.