At least 41 killed in horror ‘cold lava’ floods in Indonesia as shock vids show villages swept away by volcanic mudslide
AT least 41 people have been killed by terrifying ‘cold lava’ floods as shocking footage shows whole villages that have been swept away.
Severe weather conditions triggered the horror scenes as torrential rain battered Indonesia sending a huge mudslide barrelling down Mount Marapi, the country’s most active volcano.
Cold lava, also known as lahar, is a mixture of volcanic material and pebbles that flow down a volcano’s slopes in heavy rain.
The terrifying lava flow caused a river to burst its banks before cascading through mountainside villages in West Sumatra and destroying anything in its path.
The floods swept people away and submerged more than 200 houses and buildings, according to officials.
Home, mosques and rice fields have been left ravaged and road access in Lima Kaum village is severed.
Chilling video footage shows the aftermath of the floods as helpless villages are seen completely demolished.
Thick muddy swamps are all that’s left where houses once were and mud-caked vehicles have been left abandoned in the sludge.
Other footage shows fast flowing streams travelling across the swampy landscape where only a few trees have been left standing.
It is thought 17 people are still missing following the downpour on Saturday night.
Ilham Wahab, a West Sumatra disaster mitigation agency official, said: “Data as of last night, we recorded 37 dead victims… But from this morning it has grown again, the figure reached 41 (dead).”
Ilham could not confirm the number of locals evacuated because officials had encouraged “people to evacuate to relatives” places, which are safer than tent shelters.
“We are focused on first, searching and rescuing the victims, second, protecting the evacuees, protecting the vulnerable people,” he added.
“But bad weather, damaged roads and access points blocked by thick mud and debris were hampering relief efforts,” he explained.
Survivors recounted their nightmare ordeal when the flooding and rockfall began.
Housewife, Rina Devina, told AFP: “I heard the thunder and the sound similar to boiling water. It was the sound of big rocks falling.”
What is cold lava?
Cold lava, or Lahar in Indonesia, is a cool mixture of water and rock fragments that flows down the slopes of a volcano and typically enters a river valley.
It is a violent type of mudflow or debris flow and can be dangerous as it can carry all sizes of material from ash to large boulders.
According to internet geography cold lava is a “deadly combination” and “can have can have devastating results on the surrounding area.”
When it settles the lava can be meters thick and as hard as cement.
Cold lava flows can occur long after a volcanic eruption, meaning the people living in the area can be at risk for a long time.
She added that three of her neighbours were killed and said: “It was pitch black, so I used my cellphone as a flashlight.
“The road was muddy, so I chanted ”God, have mercy!” over and over again, she said of her evacuation to a local official’s office.
Authorities sent a team of rescuers and rubber boats to look for the missing victims and to transport people to shelters.
The local government set up evacuation centres and emergency posts in several areas of Agam and Tanah Datar.
Three people are missing in the Agam district and 14 in Tanah Datar, which are the two worst-hit areas of the flood.
About 400 people, including police, soldiers and local rescue squads have been scrambled to the area to search for the missing, using at least eight excavators and drones.
Mount Marapi, located on Sumatra island, has a dark past and this isn’t the first time it has claimed lives.
In December 2023 the volcano erupted, spewing ash 3,000 metres into the air, killing 11 hikers.
Around 75 people were trekking up the slope at the time, and those who escaped with their lives were left covered in thick ash and burns.
One hiker who cheated death filmed her badly burnt face after being caught up in the fatal eruption.
Zhafirah Zahrim Febrina, 19, started climbing the volcano with friends on December 1.
As the eruption rocked the area, she and her pals managed to make it down – but she was found at the bottom caked in ash.
She was rushed to hospital and treated for her burns.
Footage shows the student covered head to toe in thick grey ash.
Her mum Rani said: “She sent me a WhatsApp message.
“She said she didn’t have any strength left.”
Nearby villages and towns were also blanketed by volcanic debris.
Authorities raised the alert to the second-highest level and banned residents from going within 3km of the crater following the blast.
A rescue mission was frantically launched and dozens were evacuated from the area, with eight taken to hospital with burn wounds.
It comes as just days ago intense rain flooded Brazil and the death toll from the historic floods in Rio Grande do Sul reached 126.
Storms and floods rampaged through Brazil’s southernmost state, displacing almost 34,000 people with another 141 unaccounted for.
Dramatic footage showed an iconic World Cup football stadium left completely flooded, submerged after last week’s devastating deluge
And Dubai was caught short by ‘apocalyptic’ floods in April which caused ‘$1billion worth of damage’ in a day after it was hit by worst storm in 75 years.
The terrifying downpours left an airport submerged underwater, roads at a standstill and homes and businesses filled up with water.
A years worth of rain fell in just 24-hours leaving the city woefully unprepared in infrastructure and flood prevention systems.