More bodies found after sudden eruption of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi, raising confirmed toll to 23

By MARDI ROSA TANJUNG
Associated Press

BATU PALANO, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers searching the hazardous slopes of Indonesia’s Mount Marapi volcano found the last body of climbers who were caught by a surprise weekend eruption, raising the number of confirmed dead to 23. Some 52 climbers were rescued after the initial eruption Sunday, and new eruptions on Monday and Tuesday reduced visibility and temporarily halted search and recovery operations. The West Sumatra province police chief said the final body of the 23 dead was found Wednesday. The rescuers contended with bad weather and difficult terrain, along with winds that brought heat from the eruptions. Distraught relatives had gathered at a relief post command in Batu Palano on the mountain slope, hoping for news of missing family members.