Indonesia volcano spews hot clouds of ash, kills at least seven

Three people died and four others were critically injured Saturday after a highly active volcano in western Indonesia erupted violently, shooting hot ash and gases into the atmosphere, an official said.

Indonesian soldiers carry people’s belongings during an evacuation following the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 22, 2016.

The Head of Public Relations for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, said that the number of victims that perished from the recent eruption of Mount Sinabung in Karo Regency, North Sumatra has increased to six people.

A woman mourns over the coffin of a relative after a deadly eruption of Mount Sinabung, Indonesia May 22, 2016. The volcano in western Indonesia unleashed hot clouds of ash on Saturday, killing several villagers, an official said.

At least six farmers have died in a volcanic eruption in western Indonesia and officials fear that many more may be buried under hot ash.

Indonesian soldiers and villagers conduct search and rescue operations at Gamber village following a volcanic eruption in Karo, North Sumatra. The volcano has been erupting at irregular intervals since 2010 after remaining inactive for over 400 years.

All the victims had been working on their farms in the village of Gamber, about 2.5 miles from the slope within the “red zone” danger area.

Nugroho said joint search and rescue teams continue to search for victims, many of whom were farming when Sinabung erupted.

Sinabung is one of 129 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean.

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