27 still missing after Indonesia volcanic eruption kills 15

By AGOES BASOEKI
Associated Press

SUMBERWULUH, Indonesia (AP) — Rescuers dug out the body of a 13-year-old boy with their bare hands on Monday, as improved weather conditions allowed them to resume their search after a volcano on Indonesia’s Java island erupted with fury, killing at least 15 people with searing gas and ash and leaving 27 others missing. Mount Semeru spewed thick columns of ash in a sudden eruption Saturday triggered by heavy rain. Villages and nearby towns were blanketed by tons of volcanic debris. Searing gas raced down the sides of the mountain, smothering entire villages and killing or seriously burning those caught in its path. Disaster officials say 56 people were hospitalized, mostly with burns.