A vision of hell: Indonesian volcano erupts and kills at least 11 hikers – with 12 still missing – sending plume of boiling ash 10,000 feet into the sky

At least eleven hikers were found dead after a volcano erupted in Indonesia. The search for twelve others who are still missing has been suspended due to safety reasons.

The Marapi volcano erupted on Sunday, stranding nearly 75 climbers who climbed the nearly 2,900-metre-high mountain, according to AFP.

The eruption spewed hot ash as high as 3,000 meters into the air. Authorities raised the warning to the second highest level, banning residents from moving within 3 km of the crater's mouth due to possible lava.

“There are 26 people who have not been evacuated, we found 14, three were found alive and 11 were found dead,” said Abdul Malik, head of the Padang Search and Rescue Agency.

A total of 49 climbers were evacuated from the area. Eight of those rescued were taken to hospitals with burns and one also suffered a broken limb.

The Marapi volcano erupted on Sunday, leaving nearly 75 hikers stranded. There are 26 people who have not been evacuated, of which 11 were found dead and 12 are still missing.

Rescue teams evacuate a victim of the Mount Marapi eruption. Three people found by rescuers were alive

Rescue workers talk to a man affected by Monday's volcanic eruption in Marapi, Indonesia

“Some suffered burns because it was very hot, and they were taken to hospital,” Rudy Rinaldi, head of the West Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency, told AFP. “Those who were injured were those who got closer to the crater.”

The eruption sent ash plumes almost 3,000 meters into the air and hot ash clouds spread over several kilometers.

Falling ash covered several villages and blocked sunlight, said Abdul Muhari, spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency.

Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear goggles to protect them from volcanic ash, he said.

About 1,400 people live on the slopes of Marapi in Rubai and Gobah Cumantiang, the nearest villages about 5.1 to 6 km from the summit.

The eruption sent ash plumes almost 3,000 meters into the air and hot ash clouds spread over several kilometers

Marapi has been active since an eruption in January that caused no casualties. It is located on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire'

Authorities distributed masks and urged residents to wear goggles to protect them from volcanic ash

Marapi's alert level remained at the third highest of four levels, Abdul Muhari said.

He confirmed that authorities had been closely monitoring the volcano after sensors spotted increasing activity in recent weeks.

Marapi has been active since an eruption in January that caused no casualties.

It is one of more than 120 active volcanoes in Indonesia, which are prone to seismic unrest due to its location on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', an arc of volcanoes and fault lines that surround the Pacific basin.