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Indonesian volcano eruption kills seven

The volcano continued to spew hot ash on Sunday, holding up search-and-rescue operations on Sumatra island.

An apparently injured dog covered in volcanic ash crouches down in an empty village after it was abandoned following the eruption of Mt. Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra,
A dog covered in volcanic ash crouches down in an empty village after it was abandoned following the eruption of Mt Sinabung in Gamber village, in North Sumatra, Indonesia [Binsar Bakkara/AP]
Published On 22 May 2016

Seven people were killed and two were in critical condition after Mount Sinabung’s volcano erupted on Sumatra island as the army and police searched for survivors.

The volcano continued to spew hot ash on Sunday, making it dangerous for rescuers, National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.

Mount Sinabung is among the country’s most active volcanoes. More than a dozen people were killed and thousands evacuated when Sinabung erupted in 2014. 

The seven dead and two injured were found in the village of Gamber.

“It is not immediately clear how many people were in Gamber because when the mountain spewed clouds of hot ash, there was not supposed to be any activity in the area,” Sutopo said. 

Indonesia, located on the Pacific Rim of Fire, has more than 120 active volcanoes.

2Indonesian soldiers carry resident''s belongings as they aid in evacuation efforts from a village impacted by the Mount Sinabung eruption at Gamber Village,
Indonesian soldiers carry residents' belongings as they assist in evacuation efforts [YT Haryono/EPA]
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Mount Sinabung Eruption Aftermath Residents collect their belongings as they evacuate from a village impacted by the Mount Sinabung eruption at Gamber Village,
Residents collect their belongings as Gamber village is evacuated [YT Haryono/EPA]
Indonesian soldiers aid in evacuation efforts from a village impacted by the Mount Sinabung eruption at Gamber Village, Simpang Empat, Karo, North Sumatra
At least seven people were killed and two others seriously wounded after the Mount Sinabung volcano erupted in North Sumatra province in western Indonesia [YT Haryono/EPA]
Medical workers prepare to put the body of one of the victims of the eruption of Mt. Sinabung into a coffin at a hospital in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra, Indonesia,
Medical workers prepare to put the body of one of the victims into a coffin at a hospital in Kabanjahe, North Sumatra [Binsar Bakkara/AP]
Rescuers rush to help villagers to evacuate their homes following the eruption of Mt. Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 22, 2016.
Rescuers rush to help villagers evacuate their homes [Binsar Bakkara/AP]
Villagers gather their belongings to evacuate their homes to a safe zone following the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 22, 2016.
The volcano in western Indonesia unleashed hot clouds of ash on Saturday [Binsar Bakkara/AP]
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A villager leads his goats as he evacuates his home following the eruption of Mount Sinabung in Gamber village, North Sumatra, Indonesia, Sunday, May 22, 2016.
A villager leads his goats as he leaves his home [Binsar Bakkara/AP]