Two Trapped Volunteers Found Dead
Friday, 16 June, 2006 | 15:26 WIB

TEMPO Interactive, Yogyakarta: Two disaster relief volunteers for the victims of the Mount Merapi eruption were found dead in a bunker. They were found 24 hours after the hot ash from Merapi trapped them on Wednesday this week.

Two other victims were evacuated at 7.30 this morning. Their bodies were transported to Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Yogyakarta, to carry out an autopsy. They were Warjono, age 30 , a Kepuharjo resident, Cangkringan, Sleman. He was found burned..

The other victim was Sudarwanto, 25 years of age, a volunteer of Artha Graha from Sentolo, Kulon Progo. His body was situated farther from the entrance. He was suspected of having lacked oxygen.

Up until the evacuation , the bunker's temperature was as hot as an oven. The 72 personnel of the joint Search and Rescue (SAR) team, together with personnel from Sleman District Military Command and Yogyakarta Mobile Brigade, could not enter the bunker.

The SAR team hosed it down to cool it off. Five people from Kinahrejo previously thought of as lost have returned.

At around six this morning, the weather at Merapi was clear. Hot ash rolled down the sloping mountain path until the wind broke it up and blew it west. The Kaliadem tourist area, which was formerly covered with green grass, turned whitish-gray caused by the hot ash residue.

LN Idayanie, Heru CN