Indonesia Volcano Erupts, Kills 14

An Indonesian volcano that has been rumbling for months unleashed a major eruption today, killing 14 people just a day after authorities allowed thousands of evacuated villagers to return to its slopes. Among the dead on Mount Sinabung were a local television journalist and four high-school students and their teacher who were visiting the mountain to see the eruptions up close. Authorities feared the death toll would rise.

Sinabung in western Sumatra has been erupting on a smaller scale for four months, sending lava and searing gas and rocks rolling down its southern slopes. Authorities had evacuated more than 30,000 people, housing them in cramped tents, schools, and public buildings. Many have been desperate to return to check on homes and farms, and authorities allowed nearly 14,000 people living outside a three-mile danger zone to return yesterday. (More volcano stories.)