At least 14 dead after Indonesian volcano erupts

Drone footage on Sunday (December 5) showed an Indonesia town almost buried in volcanic ash after Mount Semeru erupted in East Java.

The volcano threw up towers of ash and hot clouds on Saturday that blanketed nearby villages and sent residents fleeing in panic.

One evacuee told Reuters of the sudden terror.

"At first, I thought it was a bomb explosion and all of a sudden it was Semeru erupting and spewing volcanic ashes. Suddenly it was all dark, like it was going to destroy the earth, my children were scattered around, my husband was not around, and I was waiting for him, then we evacuated ourselves to the evacuation camp."

Indonesia's disaster agency, BNPB, on Sunday said the eruption killed at least 14 people and injured dozens on Java island.

A BNPB official said around 1,300 people have been evacuated, while nine people remain unaccounted for.

A weather official on Sunday said heavy rain is expected for the next three days, which could complicate evacuation and rescue efforts.