FIRE AND FURY
ONE person has died and dozens are injured after a volcano erupted in Indonesia, forcing thousands to flee their homes.
Smoke and ash were sent spewing 50,000ft in the air from Mount Semeru in the Lumajang district of East Java on Saturday afternoon, burying villages in dust.
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Terrified locals ran for their lives as the dark cloud of smoke engulfed the skies at around 2.30pm local time - blacking out the sun in two regions.
Officials confirmed that 41 people had suffered burns after the eruption, while thousands of residents have been evacuated.
But the efforts of emergency responders have been hampered by the suffocating cloud of smoke, a power blackout and rainstorms.
The downpour sent swathes of thick mud descending into villages and destroyed at least one bridge connecting Pronojiwo and Candipuro.
Around 30 buildings were also devastated by the eruption while another road and overpass from the area to the nearby city of Malang was severed by the debris.
Thoriqul Haq, a local official, told Reuters: "This has been a very pressing, rapid condition since it erupted."
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The deputy chief of Lumajang district, Indah Masdar, said: "We're in big distress. It's harrowing, their families are all crying."
Rescue teams were forced to ride into the disaster zone on helicopters to save at least 10 locals trapped in buildings.
Harrowing videos shared on social media show residents screaming in horror and running from the thick smoke.
Others tried to seek shelter from the falling ash which has damaged infrastructure in the area.
Local authorities set up a restricted zone within 3 miles from the crater.
The Volcanic Ash Advisory Center (VAAC) warned airlines that the ash cloud was higher than the cruising altitude for most aircraft and may cause diversions.
We're in big distress. It's harrowing, their families are all crying.
Indah Masdar
They said the ash appeared to have detached from the summit and was drifting southwest over the Indian Ocean.
Meteorologist Campbell Biggs told the BBC that as well as affecting visibility and air quality in the cabin, ash that solidifies on cooler parts of the plane engine could cripple the mechanics thousands of feet in the air.
Mount Semeru - the tallest volcano on the island of Java - previously erupted in January this year.
But Biggs said Saturday's spew marked a "pretty significant increase in intensity" of the crater.
He said the ash cloud should slowly disperse.
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Mount Semeru is situated 3,676m above sea level and is among around 130 other active volcanoes in Indonesia.
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