Beware Of Mount Merapi Lava Drop Hoaks

JAKARTA - The status of Mount Merapi has risen to alert or level III. Now circulating photos of Mount Merapi's lava avalanches, which are actually old pictures.

"We inform you that the video and pictures that are circulating like the following picture are not the avalanche of Merapi on November 5, 2020. Please be careful in receiving information and review it first before forwarding messages," said the information from the Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) via official Instagram account quoted by VOI, Thursday, November 5.

Head of BPPTKG Hanik Humaida previously said that Mount Merapi's volcanic activity continued to increase. In fact, currently the status of Mount Merapi has risen to alert or level III.

"Volcanic activity continues to increase until now. This is based on data from monitoring volcanic activity, such as seismicity and deformation, which is still increasing," Raditya said in a written statement, Thursday, November 5.

Hanik said, this condition could trigger a magma extrusion process quickly or an explosive eruption. Potential hazards can be in the form of lava avalanches, ejection of material, and hot clouds as far as 5 kilometers.

"BPPTKG conducted sectoral mapping related to the hazard area forecast. As a result, there were 12 villages included in the forecast, scattered in the Special Region of Yogyakarta (DIY) and Central Java Province," said Hanik.

The government of Sleman Regency, Yogyakarta Special Region has declared an emergency status for Mount Merapi eruption disaster following an increase in the status of the mountain's activity from alert to alert status issued by BPPTKG Yogyakarta.

"With the increase in the activity status of Mount Merapi, we have received direction from the Governor of Yogyakarta, Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono X, to take anticipatory steps. And today we will also issue a decree on the emergency status of the Merapi disaster," said Regional Secretary of Sleman Regency Harda Kiswaya in Sleman. , quoted Antara, Thursday, November 5.

According to him, with the determination of the Merapi emergency status, the Sleman Regency Government is ready to allocate a budget for handling the eruption of Mount Merapi.

"The budget will be included in the revised APBD, and allocations for financing the handling of the Merapi disaster, including for the living costs of residents who have to evacuate and others. The point is we are ready for the handling of the Merapi eruption disaster," he said.

The Executive Head of the Sleman Regency BPBD, Joko Supriyanto, said that his party is ready to handle and handle the Mount Merapi eruption disaster, because all of this has been stated in the Mount Merapi Eruption Disaster Management Contingency which was drafted some time ago.

"Currently, we have also prepared evacuation barracks to anticipate an increase in the alert status of Mount Merapi," he said.

According to him, the target residents who must be evacuated at this alert status level are the elderly, pregnant women, children, people with disabilities and other vulnerable residents.

"Then the residents' livestock were also targeted to be immediately evacuated to a safer place," he said.

He said his party had also closed tourist attractions on the slopes of Mount Merapi, which are located less than 5 kilometers from the summit of Mount Merapi.

"The attractions that we closed include Klangon Hill in Kalitengah Lor Hamlet, Cangkringan, Turgo Hill in Pakem and Kaliadem area in Kepuharho Cangkringan. This is because of the recommendation from BPPTKG Yogyakarta, a safe distance of 5 kilometers," he said.

Joko said, hamlets that had to be vacated because they were less than 5 km away included Kalitengah Lor Hamlet in Glagaharjo Village, Kaliadem Lama Hamlet in Kepuharjo Village, and Pelemsari Lama Hamlet in Umbulharjo Village, all in Cangkringan (Kecamatan).

"Currently in Kaliadem Lama there are no residents, then in Pelemsari there are only a few buildings and two families, we check the contents of livestock. However, these two families already have permanent shelter (huntap) below which is safer," he said.

Joko said, for Kalitengah Lor Hamlet, there are vulnerable groups totaling approximately 160 people, who must be evacuated to the evacuation barracks.

"It's just that this barracks in Glagaharjo has a capacity of 300 people. Due to the COVID-19 outbreak, it can only be filled with a maximum of 120 people. So that later we will evacuate the rest in residents' homes and in their relatives. However, the government will still pay for the cost of living. , "he said.