Rescuers have found the body of the last missing hiker from a volcanic eruption on Indonesia's Mount Marapi on Sunday, bringing the death toll to 23.

The search for 10 missing hikers resumed on Tuesday after being paused due to safety worries.

The final body was recovered on Wednesday, Indonesia's National Search and Rescue Agency said.

The volcano spewed a 3km (9,800ft) ash cloud into the air on Sunday, shrouding surrounding villages in ash.

There were 75 hikers in the area during the eruption. Most of them were evacuated and received treatment for burns. Twelve injured victims are undergoing treatment in hospital.

"The joint search and rescue team has found one victim of the Mount Marapi eruption, who is now in the process of being evacuated," Abdul Malik, head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency, told reporters.

The National Search and Rescue Agency identified the final hiker as a woman.

Mount Marapi, which means "Mountain of Fire", is among the most active of Indonesia's 127 volcanoes and is also popular among hikers.

Some trails reopened only last June due to ash eruptions from January to February. Marapi's deadliest eruption occurred in 1979, when 60 people died.

One of the survivors told the BBC about suffering broken bones from rocks and being briefly blinded by thick black smoke as he escaped.

Volcano survivor tells BBC of ordeal from hospital

Source:
courtesy of BBC NEWS

by BBC NEWS

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