South Central Timor Falls Fire Point Check Team In Naimitis

Photo via Antara

JAKARTA - The South Central Timor Regency Government in East Nusa Tenggara has dispatched a team to check five hotspots that reportedly appeared in the hilly area of Naimunis, North Molo District.

"The team immediately moved to Setbot Village to check," said South Central Timor Regent Epy Tahun to ANTARA in Kupang, Wednesday, October 12.

According to a report submitted by the Setbot Village Government, five hotspots have started to appear in the Naruitis hills since three weeks ago.

The Regent said that the South Central Timor Regency Government on Tuesday (11/10) dispatched a team that included representatives from the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD), the North Molo District Government, and the TNI and Polri to check the Naimitis hills.

According to him, the monitoring team did not find a fire on the slopes of Naimutis hill, but saw a ground cavity that emitted a smell of sulfur and material similar to a golden yellow metal.

"Indeed, there was smoke that emerged from the ground on the slopes of the Naimutis hill, but not as big as before. Smoke appeared when heavy rain occurred in the area," he said.

The Regent appealed to residents of Setbot Village to be aware of the possibility of an increase in the hotspots in the hilly area.

"The team has reminded residents, if the activities of the five hotspots continue to increase, they should immediately evacuate to safer places to avoid unwanted things," he said.

He suggested that in February 2020 a hotspot appeared in the Naimitis hills and a volcanology team from Jakarta descended into the Naimitis hills to carry out a check.

However, according to him, the team has not submitted the results of monitoring or recommendations to the South Central Timor Regency Government.

"We need recommendations from the volcanolologists so that the TTS Regency Government can anticipate," he said, adding that local governments could relocate residents of Setbot Village if according to recommendations from settlement experts they are prone to disasters.