Despite evacuation preparations, at least 31 people have been confirmed dead after Indonesia’s Mount Merapi erupted Tuesday, according to the Jakarta Post.
Among those dead is the mountain’s traditional gatekeeper, Mbah or grandfather Marijan, who was found burnt to death in his house about 2.5 miles from the peak, according to local officials.
The bodies of 13 other people found with Mbah Maridjan’s are believed to been his friends trying to convince the elder to leave his house before the eruption, according to the Jakarta Globe.
One of the bodies has been identified as a an editor with the Indonesian news portal VIVAnews. The editor apparently had a close relationship with the elder, the Globe reported.
The eruption blanketed nearby villages in a layer of ash, killing livestock and flattening homes, according to the Post.
Among those dead is the mountain’s traditional gatekeeper, Mbah or grandfather Marijan, who was found burnt to death in his house about 2.5 miles from the peak, according to local officials.
The bodies of 13 other people found with Mbah Maridjan’s are believed to been his friends trying to convince the elder to leave his house before the eruption, according to the Jakarta Globe.
One of the bodies has been identified as a an editor with the Indonesian news portal VIVAnews. The editor apparently had a close relationship with the elder, the Globe reported.
The eruption blanketed nearby villages in a layer of ash, killing livestock and flattening homes, according to the Post.