5,830 Residents Fled Due To Mount Ili Lewetolok Eruption, Still Need Help

Refugee camps for residents (Photo: BNPB)

JAKARTA - More than 5,000 residents around Mount Ili Lewotolok, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) have been displaced after the eruption occurred since Monday, November 30. Those who fled were scattered in 20 refugee points.

There were no reports of casualties from the eruption. The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Lembata Regency recorded 5,830 people who fled to several points.

"Based on data as of Tuesday, December 1 at 15.00 WIB, volcanic activity affected 28 villages, including 17 villages in Ile Ape District and 9 villages in East Ile Ape. BPBD recorded the distribution of 20 evacuation points as follows," said the Head of the Data Center, Information and Communication on Disaster BNPB Raditya Jati, Tuesday, December 1.

As for the evacuation posts of residents in 576 people, Parak Walang 456, the hall of Central Lewoleba Village 279, Tapolangu Village 287, the Ankara 169 Kopdit hall, SMPN I Nubatuan 160, Lamahora market 112, SDI Lewoleba 82, Hall of East Lewoleba Village 65, Selandoro 50 hall and BKD PSDM 46.

In addition, evacuation was also carried out by residents to residents' houses scattered in several villages, such as East Lewoleba 1,042 people, Selandoro 1,015, South Lewoleba 467, Lewoleba 347, West Lewoleba 286, Lewoleba Tengah 286 and Lewoleba Utara 105.

The local BPBD needs support in the form of evacuation tents, water and sanitation, baby and toddler equipment, masks, termogans, blankets, sleeping mats, tarpaulin and personnel to assist children.

To ensure emergency handling, the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Provincial BPBD supports the operations of the local BPBD. Command posts have been established to ensure proper emergency handling, such as support for the handling of displaced residents, services at refugee posts and food logistics.

Seeing the post-eruption development, Head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Doni Monardo left for Lembata Regency to ensure that emergency handling was carried out optimally, especially during the Covid-19 pandemic.

Meanwhile, Mount Ili Lewotolok is still experiencing eruptions today, Tuesday, December 1, at around 05:13 local time. The height of the volcanic ash column was observed 800 meters above the surface. The ash column was observed to be gray to black with a thick intensity leaning towards the east. This eruption was recorded on a seismogram with a maximum amplitude of 20 mm and a duration of ± 1 minute 30 seconds.