Run for your life in Indonesia after the catastrophic eruption of Mount Semeru | Natural Issues

Surabaya, Indonesia Dr Sugeng Widodo has just finished working near Indonesia’s dangerous Mount Semeru – a volcanic eruption on the island of Java that erupted Saturday night following heavy rains that toppled the valley.

Since the blast, which spewed a cloud of ash over 4km (2.48 kilometers) in the air and caused mudslides, a veterinarian has been volunteering at the scene, killing more than 30 people and leaving at least 3,000 others dead. not relocated.

Widodo is a leader of the East Java II volunteer group Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association (IVMA) and has been working to help and rescue some of the people who are often forgotten by volcanic eruptions: local animals and animals.

Along with his small team of three or four volunteers, veterinarians work from sunrise to sunset with paramedics to extract and treat animals that have been burned, emitted smoke and other injuries.

“Today I was in the village of Supiturang. We have transferred 150 cows and 200 sheep, ”said Al Jazeera.

“We have found 17 dead cows and 50 dead sheep so far. Some animals that were injured but could not be rescued were immediately sold by their owners. ”

The area around the mountain is characterized by two factors: sand mining and agriculture. The lush vegetation of the mountain range is rich in volcanic soil, and green vegetation makes it ideal for grazing cattle, goats, and sheep.

‘Today will be the day I die’

Marzuki Suganda, a 30-year-old driver at a sand mine, told Al Jazeera that he knew almost all the dead and missing, most of whom were farmers on the hillside and either could not or would not. they left their livestock and fled in due course.

Suganda, who was returning from work at a sand mine on the day of the eruption, said it was dark before the lava flows in the air and hit him in the head and back, causing him to fall to the ground. .

“I thought, ‘Today will be the day I die.’ I was ready. I thought, ‘That’s fine. I was born here in the village of Curuk Kobokan and I will die here, ‘”he said.

“Life and death shone before me.”

As he searched for an escape route, Suganda said there was nowhere to go because the houses were damaged by debris that had fallen, leaving him kneeling on the side of the road and covering his head with a motorcycle helmet and his hands. The animals that ate along the roadside were buried in ashes that descended on the villages around Semeru.

The blast also damaged Suganda’s home. The tiles were broken by the weight and heat of the lava, and the roof of the house was replaced with a large hole.

“My house is no longer occupied. It has upset me, ”he said.

Suganda, his wife and five-year-old daughter are now fleeing to a nearby village as they await their relocation. There are 11 goats left by the displaced villagers, who tried to save their pets but to no avail.

‘Everything is covered with ashes’

Some of the villagers who live with him have sold all the cattle they could keep because they can no longer take care of them.

Suganda and Widodo said there had been a shopping spree because people in neighboring villages were not affected by the blast and livestock traders were buying more animals.

According to Vid Widodo, the main problem now is finding enough green leaves for the animals that survived the disaster.

He said: “Now it is all covered with ashes. When the animals eat, they can get respiratory infections and start coughing.

Widodo said he and his colleagues are working here to create new grasses, supplements and pesticides for injured and displaced animals.

The lush green surroundings of the mountain are fertile fertile soil, and the lush vegetation around Semeru makes it ideal for grazing cattle, goats, and sheep. [Courtesy of Indonesian Veterinary Medical Association/Sugeng Widodo]

Although the goods are plentiful, in part because of a fundraising campaign launched by the IVMA team, finding food and medicine in the right place is a challenge, such as keeping grass and other plants from rotting before eating.

“The affected area is not safe because Mount Semeru is still active, so access to the affected areas is limited,” Abdul Muhari, head of the Disaster Information and Communication Data Center at the National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB), told Al Jazeera. .

“We are still in the process of trying to get rid of all the remaining animals.”

On Monday, Semeru erupted again, spewing smoke and ash into the air and disrupting rescue operations.

He is still crying

Semeru is one of Indonesia’s 100 most active volcanoes, located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” – a combination of tectonic plates that generate frequent earthquakes.

In addition to caring for live animals, Widodo said there are other concerns about how to deal with the dead to prevent the spread of disease after the outbreak, as animals begin to rot faster.

“At the moment one of the most important things we have to do is count the animals that have become endangered,” Widodo said, adding that transportation was also difficult due to remote areas.

“The animals are near the top of Semeru and most of them were in houses or cages that collapsed as a result of the blast,” he said.

A few days after the eruption, Suganda returned to her home to see if she could find and retain some of her belongings, such as paper and jewelry.

He did not open the door of his house because of an explosion of mud about 40cm (16 inches) in place.

“Thank God, I received several important papers such as school diplomas and a house certificate. I was able to save them even though they were covered with mud. I have already begun to relate to the condition of the house. If I call another, it is ruined, ”he said.

As he looked around his muddy village, Suganda noticed a strange calm that resided in a crowd that was often crowded.

“The only things that still exist are chickens and cats,” he said.