BY: Michelle Liew
A video clip showing a woman with her face covered in the ashes of the Mount Semeru eruption became viral when she was seen trying to protect her child by covering her child’s entire body with a piece of cloth.
Based on the footage shared by the Instagram account @Jejak Pendaki, the woman was riding a motorcycle while carrying her child, whom she covered with a piece of cloth while trying to save herself from the eruption of Mount Semeru.
The woman’s face and entire hands turned pitch black because they were covered in volcanic ash.
“One of the victims of the eruption of Mount Semeru,” wrote the caption on the video.
The recording clip became viral with many netizens expressing their heartfelt feelings at the woman’s sacrifice. At the same time, many also regarded the whole incident as sorrowful, and hope that both mother and child are safe.
“Evidence of a mother’s sacrifice to save her child from disaster and danger. Hope everything is fine,” said one netizen.
It is important to note that volcanic eruptions are dangerous to all life. It is not the same as ash resulting from activities such as burning of wood or other organic matters.
The particles are very hard and usually have jagged edges. It can cause side effects such as irritation to the eyes, nose, lungs and breathing problems.