VIDEOS. What is the cold lava which caused the death of around thirty people including children in Indonesia ?

Des pluies diluviennes ont provoqué des crues subites et des coulées de lave froide en Indonésie. XinHua – Andri Mardiansyah

Pendant des heures, des pluies diluviennes se sont abattues ce samedi 11 mai 2024 sur l’île de Sumatra, dans l’ouest de l’Indonésie, provoquant des crues subites et des coulées de lave froide provenant du mont Marapi.

At least 34 people have died and 16 are missing after floods and cold lava flows on the island of Sumatra, in western Indonesia, Indonesia reported on Sunday. AFP a spokesperson for the Sumatran search and rescue agency.

Agam, Sumbar
Sabtu 11 Mei 2024 23.50

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The tragedy occurred on Saturday around 10:30 p.m. local time (3:30 p.m. GMT) in the districts of Agam and Tanah Datar , in the west of the island of Sumatra, where torrential rains fell for several hours on the region, causing flash floods and cold lava flows coming from Mount Marapi, a volcano in the region. rsquo;island.

What is cold lava?

Cold lava is a magma formed by the various materials that make up the walls of a volcano: ash, sand and rocks. Under the effect of rain, these can mix and flow along the crater.

"According to our information, 34 people died: 16 in Agam and 18 in Tanah Datar. At least 18 people are injured. We are also still looking for 16 other people", spokesperson Ilham Wahab told AFP.

Several mosques and a public school suffered damage. XinHua – Andri Mardiansyah

According to the head of the local Padang relief agency, Abdul Malik, three additional victims were recorded but their deaths had to be confirmed by regional authorities.

Spokesman Ilham Wahab added that authorities continued to receive reports of missing people on Sunday. He was not able to give the number of people evacuated, the efforts of rescuers being focused in particular on the search for the missing and the victims. Nine of the victims could be identified on Sunday, including two children aged three and eight, said Abdul Malik.

Mosques and damaged houses

In the Tanah Datar district, where around 370,000 inhabitants reside, several mosques and a public school suffered damage and imposing rocks and tree trunks carried by the waters litter the ground, noted an AFP journalist.

In Lembah Anai, whose waterfall usually attracts tourists, the road linking the towns of Padang and Bukittinggi was also damaged and was closed to traffic. Not far away, a swollen river carried away two heavy goods vehicles.

In the Agam district, whose population exceeds 500,000 people, dozens of houses and public buildings suffered damage, the head of the AFP reported to AFP. rsquo;District Disaster Management Agency Budi Perwira Negara. Some 90 residents were sheltered in a school, he added.

Local rescuers, police, soldiers and volunteers came to support. XinHua – Andri Mardiansyah

Local rescuers, police, soldiers and volunteers are participating in the search efforts. The local government has opened evacuation centers and emergency treatment stations in several areas of the two districts.

Rescuers travel in rubber boats to search for missing people and transfer residents to areas spared by water. Landslides and floods are common in Indonesia during the rainy season.

In March, at least 26 people were found dead after landslides and flooding in western Sumatra island.

34 people died. EPA – GIVO ALPUTRA

In 2022, some 24,000 residents were evacuated and two children were killed in floods in Sumatra, made more devastating by logging, according to logging advocates ;environment on site.

Mount Marapi, whose name means "mountain of fire" in the local language, is one of the most active of the country's many volcanoes. In December, an eruption caused the deaths of at least 24 hikers, most of them students.