BNPB Records 644 Residents In West Halmahera Refuge The Impact Of Mount Ibu Eruption

MALUKU - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated that a total of 644 residents in West Halmahera, North Maluku, were evacuated to avoid the impact of the eruption of Mount Ibu which is at Level IV or Alert.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said the number would still increase because the evacuation process for residents from six villages in Tabaru District, West Halmahera continued to be carried out by a joint team of officers.

This is done so that residents are protected from the dangers of exposure to the Mount Ibu eruption material whose activities are still fluctuating until now.

"Referring to the data issued by the Mount Ibu Eruption Emergency Management Command Post until Sunday at 16.00 WIT, hundreds of residents were evacuated to evacuations spread across six locations," he explained in a statement in Jakarta, Antara, Monday, January 20.

BNPB confirmed that each Tongute Sungi Village Office Refugee Post (containing 22 families or 56 residents), Tongute Deni Church Refugee Post (98 families or 245 residents), and Akesibu Church Refugee Post (28 families or 70 residents).

Then at the Tongute Goin Inpres Elementary School Refugee Post (18 families or 40 residents), Akesibu Vocational School Refugee Post (71 families or 188 residents) and Akesibu Elementary School Refugee Post (31 families or 65 residents).

BNPB will continue to provide assistance to the West Halmahera Regency Government (Pemkab) to ensure that the emergency response to the eruption of Mount Ibu goes well.

He mentioned that the smooth process of distributing logistics for basic necessities to refugees is currently one of the priorities. The government has increased vehicle support so that the smooth distribution of logistics in the form of basic necessities or evacuation needs is no delay.

"Every refugee post submits a list of the goods needed and will later be distributed by the logistics team to the post," he said.

The activity status of Mount Ibu was upgraded from Alert to Alert on Wednesday (15/1) afternoon by the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM).

The increase in status was carried out after the Geological Agency team detected a significant increase in Mount Ibu's volcanic activity in the period 1-14 January 2025. As of Monday at 12.12 WIT, the eruption was still ongoing with an average height of the ash column being observed at 1,000 meters above the peak.

The eruption of Mount Ibu was successfully recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 28 mm and a duration of 61 seconds at the Volcano Observation Post in Gam Ici Village, Ibu District, West Halmahera.

The Geological Agency in its recommendations still urges the community around Mount Ibu and tourists not to move within a 5 kilometer radius and to expand sectorally 6 kilometers to the crater opening in the northern part of the active crater of Mount Ibu. This appeal is also the basis for the evacuation of residents in the Tabaru District to the evacuation provided by the West Halmahera Regency Government.

To maximize emergency efforts, the West Halmahera Regency Government has established an emergency response status for 14 days which will take effect on January 15, 2025.