REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, BUKITTINGGI- The Police Chief of West Sumatra, Suharyono, confirmed that all 23 remains of climbers who were victims of the Mount Marapi eruption have been evacuated. According to Suharyono, although the evacuation of 23 victims has been completed, officers are still combing the entire site to make sure there are no more victims left behind.

“All the remains are taken to RSAM Bukittinggi. But officers are still on standby there to comb the entire site, to ensure climbers are outside the data collected by online bookings,” Suharyono said on Tuesday (5/12/2023).

On different occasions, West Sumatra's deputy commissioner, Brigjen Pol Edi Mardianto, said the joint team encountered obstacles while evacuating the victims who were still around the rocks or a few meters from the crater hole. “Heavy terrain constraints and the Marapi eruption still continuing to heal dust storms make it difficult for the combined SAR team to evacuate quickly,” Edi said.

During the evacuation process of the last three days, Mount Marapi activity was still ongoing. Note from the Marapi Volcano Monitor (PGA) in Bukittinggi, today, Tuesday (5/12/2023) it has erupted six times. Then Marapi also recorded 108 times exhaling volcanic ash.

“Erupts with an amplitude of 11.1-30.3 mm, and a duration of 26-84 seconds. Volcanic ash gusts with an amplitude of 1.5-28 mm, and a duration of 17-442 seconds,” said Chairman of POS PGA Gunung Marapi, Ahmad Rifandi. Ahmad recommended that people around Mount Marapi do not do activities and also climb within a radius of 3 kilometers from the crater or the top of the mountain.

Four climbers who were victims of the Mount Marapi eruption are reportedly students from Riau. They were students of the Islamic University of Riau. Muhammad Adan as well as Aditya Sukirno Putra. Two of the four men, Muhammad Adan, 21, and Nazatra Adzin Mufadhal, 22, were confirmed dead. Both are residents of Pekanbaru City. One other student has yet to be found is Ilham Nanda Bintang. Meanwhile Aditya Sukirno Putra was found survived and is still in care.

Adan's uncle, Sudirman, said her nephew was buried at Jalan Lintas Timur KM 20, Tenayan Raya District, Pekanbaru City, Riau on Tuesday (5/12/2023) at noon. A gloomy atmosphere pervades the funeral process, from family, relatives, even college friends of the victims coming to deliver to the cemetery.

Sudirman recounts, Adan initially told his family about his plan to visit Padang. However, he suddenly changed his mind and decided to climb Mount Marapi with his friends. “At that time he had permission with his parents to go to Padang, finally it was not possible and ask permission to climb the mountain,” Sudirman said.

Once on the mountain, Adan had time to call his family and tell him about the conditions in Mount Marapi. At that time Marapi was in an eruptive state. After that, the family received word from his friend, that the deceased had time to help his three friends with broken legs.

“He (Adan) tried to help his friend who had a broken leg,” Sudirman said. After getting the information, the victims' families went straight to Mount Marapi. Adan also sent his location via google share location. But Adan's family couldn't get him up the mountain because the situation was so dangerous. The joint team also banned people from climbing the mountain.

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