Footage Of The Volcano Eruption In Indonesia Over The Weekend Looks Like Something Straight Out Of A Horror Movie
Terrifying. I simply cannot imagine what was going through those people's heads as they were running away from their homes, looking back, only to see this...
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A plume of smoke that according to authorities say reached upwards of 40,000 feet. It honestly doesn't even look real. As of right now 13 people are dead and that number is expected to rise…
From CBS News…
Source - The death toll following the eruption of the highest volcano on Indonesia's most densely populated island of Java has risen to 13, with seven people still missing, officials said Sunday as smoldering debris and thick mud hampered search efforts.
Mount Semeru in Lumajang district in East Java province spewed thick columns of ash more than 12,000 meters (40,000 feet) into the sky, and searing gas and lava flowed down its slopes after a sudden eruption Saturday triggered by heavy rains. Several villages were blanketed with falling ash.
A thunderstorm and days of rain, which eroded and finally collapsed the lava dome atop the 3,676-meter (12,060-foot) Semeru, triggered the eruption, said Eko Budi Lelono, who heads the geological survey center.
He said flows of searing gas and lava traveled up to 800 meters (2,624 feet) to a nearby river at least twice on Saturday. People were advised to stay 5 kilometers (3.1 miles) from the crater's mouth, the agency said.
"Thick columns of ash have turned several villages to darkness," said Lumajang district head Thoriqul Haq. Several hundred people were moved to temporary shelters or left for other safe areas, he said, adding that a power blackout hampered the evacuation.
To make things worse, the debris and lava mixed with the rainfall to create a thick mud that destroyed multiple bridges making rescue efforts that much more difficult. Here's another video of the aftermath. It starts the same as the video I posted above and changes over around the fifteen second mark…
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Over 900 people have been displaced and like the death count, that number is expected to rise. Thoughts and prayers to everyone impacted. And next time you feel sorry for yourself or think you had a bad day, remember this blog. Remember the people of the Lumajang district in East Java province and try to put things into perspective. We've got it good, friends. Enjoy the rest of the day.
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PS: Completely unrelated but if you want to help a cause close to home, we're selling shirts to benefit the Tate Myre Memorial Scholarship Fund set up by the Myre Family. You can purchase one HERE.