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Indonesia Volcano Death Toll Rises to 22

by Agence France-Presse

   Agam --

   The death toll from a volcano eruption in Indonesia has risen to 22
   after nine more bodies were found, a local search and rescue agency
   official said Tuesday.

   "9 of 10 missing victims were found dead this afternoon and at the
   moment, they are being evacuated. There is one remaining victim
   currently in search," Abdul Malik, head of Padang Search and Rescue
   Agency told AFP.

   Mount Marapi on the island of Sumatra erupted on Sunday, belching a
   tower of ash three kilometers (1.8 miles) into the sky as 75 people
   were hiking in the area.

   The rescue mission that followed has been hampered for days by further
   volcanic activity and bad weather but nearly all of the missing hikers
   have been found, with one still unaccounted for.

   Ahmad Rifandi, head of Marapi's monitoring post, told AFP Tuesday it
   had observed five eruptions from midnight to 8:00 am (0100 GMT).

   Later in the day rainfall and volcanic smoke were still blocking a view
   of Marapi, according to an AFP journalist.

   Mount Marapi, which means 'Mountain of Fire', is the most active
   volcano on Sumatra island.

   Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its
   position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.

   The archipelago nation has nearly 130 active volcanoes.