Merapi Update for 10/28/2010: At least 33 people killed by explosive eruption

The news of the aftermath from the Merapi eruption continues to be grim. The pyroclastic flows have killed at least 33 people (including the "Keeper of Merapi", who has caused a stir even in death), and now the job of burying the dead has begun. This is especially important in a tropical country like Indonesia because remember, the #1 killer in most disasters is not the event itself (e.g., earthquake, eruption, tsunami) but the disease that follows. Most refugee camps become centers of the spread of diseases, and with limited access to fresh water and food, the chances that disease can spread rapidly, especially amongst people potentially already weakened by injuries, is very high. More than 50,000 people have been evacuated and international aid has begun to arrive to help the refugees.