BANTEN - Mbah Asri, a 95-year-old grandmother in Muruy Village, Menes District, Pandeglang Regency, Banten Province, is now guarding and caring for the graves of victims of the 1883 eruption of Mount Krakatau, which at that time caused a tsunami.
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Krakatau at that time had caused the death of around 36,000 people on the coast of Banten and Lampung.
The wave of refugees following the eruption of Mount Krakatau for the coastal areas of Carita and Labuan was spread in Menes and Jiput sub-districts, because the locations were not so far apart. Thousands of refugees, their condition was injured, sick and food insecure.
The catastrophic eruption of Mount Krakatoa caused volcanic ash to reach the European continent. The Mount Krakatau disaster also caused many victims to die in refugee camps in Muruy Village, Menes District, which is historical evidence.
The burial area for the victims of the eruption of Mount Krakatau is still intact, marked with rocks. It is estimated that tens of people have died from the victims of Mount Krakatau in Muruy Village and most of them are residents of Caringin, Labuan.
The funerals of victims of the eruption of Mount Krakatau are rarely even visited by their relatives for pilgrimages both during Ramadan and before Eid.
"We clean and care for the graves of victims of Mount Krakatau every day by sweeping," said Mbah Asri in Pandeglang as quoted by Antara, Tuesday, April 26.
Mbah Asri, a native of Muruy, takes care of and cares for the 1,000-square-meter grave, most of which are victims of Mount Krakatau as well as some local residents. Caring for and maintaining the cemetery sincerely without reward, because it is part of history.
"The eruption of Mount Krakatau is quite powerful and it should not be a disaster again," he said.
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