Death toll rises to 15 after Indonesia's Semeru volcano erupts

The death toll rose to 15 after the Semeru volcano in Indonesia's East Java province erupted over the weekend, officials said on Monday.
At least 68 people suffered burn injuries after Saturday's eruption of Mount Semeru, the highest mountain on Java island, said Wawan Hadi, head of the local civil protection agency.
The eruption sent villagers in Lumajang district fleeing their homes in terror as a huge column of smoke rose into the sky and searing molten rocks and gas barrelled down the slopes.
Television footage showed ash from the volcano burying homes, with only roofs remaining visible.
More than 1,500 people have been displaced and sheltered in temporary places including mosques and government offices, Wawan said.
Relief efforts have been hampered by smouldering ash and the collapse of a major bridge linking Lumajang and the city of Malang, officials said.
Among the fatalities were a woman and her daughter whose bodies were found under the rubble of their home hugging each other, the Kompas.com news website reported.
Meanwhile, state-owned air navigation company AirNav advised aircraft flying over Java to reroute to the northern area of the island due to risks posed by volcanic ash.
The nearly 3,700-metre Semeru, part of Bromo Tengger Semeru National Park, has erupted several times since December last year.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, an area known for seismic upheaval, and has about 128 active volcanoes.