Rescuers dug through volcanic debris Thursday to reach two people trapped when Indonesia’s most volatile volcano erupted, nearly enveloping a village with a searing gas cloud and forcing thousands of residents to flee.
Wednesday’s eruption came a day after the alert level was lowered and people returned to the homes around Mt. Merapi.
“The situation is . . . life-threatening,” said Yousana Siagian, head of the Vulcanology and Disaster Mitigation Center, after the alert level again was raised to its highest status and the mountain dumped thick ash on scores of houses.
On Thursday, crews struggled to reach two people trapped in an underground emergency shelter by the eruption. Five other villagers were reported missing. The rescuers had been in touch with the two by cell phone. The bunkers, several of which dot the slopes of Merapi, typically are equipped with water and food.
