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Indonesia hit by deadly tsunami, volcanic eruption
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A powerful earthquake has triggered a three-meter tsunami, that pounded remote island villages in western Indonesia, killing at least 113 people and leaving 500 more missing. But... the catastrophy did not come alone. On Tuesday, Indonesia's most active volcano ALSO erupted, killing 18.
The tsunami triggered by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake on Monday swept away hundreds of homes on the Mentawai islands of West Sumatra,killing at least 113 villagers. Up to 500 others are missing.
Maman, Official Indonesian Disaster Agency, said, "A 7.2 Richter scale earthquake occurred Monday October 25th at 9.42 PM. The location was in Mentawai islands, West Sumatra, the depth of the epicenter is 10 kilometers. The villagers fleeing their homes are taking shelter in the mountains."
Indonesia's Mount Merapi volcano erupted on Tuesday, after scientists warned that pressure building beneath its dome could trigger the most powerful explosion in years.
18 people have been killed and up to 20 injured. Survivors have been rescued and taken to hospital.
Dr. Adi Mulyo, Panti Nugroho Hospital, said, "There are 18 injured people being treated in this hospital. All of them have severe burns, some with 40 to 90 percent burns."
The eruption of the volcano forced thousands of villagers to stream off the high mountains, crowding into makeshift emergency shelters with straw sleeping mats and bags of clothes and food.
Earlier, many had refused to budge, saying they wanted to tend to crops along the volcano's fertile slopes and protect their homes against looters.
Authorities have been trying to evacuate more than 11,000 villagers, after the alert status was raised to the highest level.
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelago, is prone to earthquakes and volcanic activity due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire. There is a series of fault lines stretching from the western hemisphere through Japan and Southeast Asia.
