Indonesian Muslims hold Friday prayers in shadow of deadly volcano

Abdul Ghofar, 47, a local resident who is affected by the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano, walks after Friday prayers at a temporary shelter in Penanggal, Candipuro district, Lumajang, East Java province, Indonesia, December 10, 2021. REUTERS/Willy Kurniawan

PENANGGAL, Indonesia (Reuters) -Indonesian Muslims gathered for Friday prayers in an evacuation centre on the slopes of Mount Semeru, where thousands of people remain in limbo after a series of eruptions in the past week by the volcano left thousands homeless.

The 3,676-metre (12,060 foot) volcano erupted spectacularly on Saturday, sending a towering cloud of ash into the sky and dangerous pyroclastic flows into villages below.