The eruption of a volcano from Mount Semeru in Indonesia killed at least 13 people and injured dozens, the disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said on Sunday. Semeru, the tallest mountain on Java island, threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages in East Java province and sent people fleeing in panic.The eruption severed a strategic bridge connecting two areas in the nearby district of Lumajang with the city of Malang and wrecked buildings, authorities said.
Most injuries were burns, authorities said.Evacuations were temporarily suspended on Sunday due to hot ash clouds, Indonesia's Metro TV reported. There is also a risk of heavy rain causing ash sediment to form a new river of hot lava, the country's top volcanologist Surono told the station. Locals have been advised to not travel within five kilometres (3.1 miles) of Semeru's crater, and the air around it is highly polluted and could affect vulnerable groups. Officials have sent aid to shelters, including food, tarpaulins, face masks, and body bags.