SAR Team Evacuates 528 Residents Affected By Lewotobi Male Eruption

The SAR team helped a grandmother of Nukolen Village to get into the car in the evacuation process for residents affected by the eruption, in Riang Rita Village, Ile Bura District, East Flores, NTT, Monday (15/1/2024). (ANTARA/Fransiska Mariana Nuka)

The Joint SAR Team consisting of elements of Basarnas, Polri, and TNI evacuated 528 people from Nukolen Village, Ile Bura District who were affected by the eruption of Mount Lewotobi Laki in East Flores, East Nusa Tenggara (NTT).

The evacuation was carried out after an approach made by the East Flores Regency Government and security forces to the community.

"Seeing the development of information regarding the increasing eruptions and flowing lava that could hit settlements, we invite people who have not evacuated to be evacuated to Konga," said Acting Regent of East Flores,OKi Rihi in Riang Rita Village, Ile Bura District, as reported by ANTARA, Monday, January 15.

Most residents were evacuated to a refugee post in Konga Village, TiteTENa District to avoid barriers to logistic access and access to rescue during the eruption.

Vocational said that his party communicated with the Men's Mount Lewotobi Observation Post to see the development of the eruption of the Alert mountain.

"We also need information about whether to emit hot clouds or not," he said.

The closure of Trans Flores road access from Larantuka to Maumere through Dulipali Village has not been implemented because it will affect many things, such as the distribution of fuel oil (BBM) for the Larantuka, Solor, and Adonara areas.

However, the road access will be closed if existing recommendations for safety reasons, so that the alternative route used is the northern route.

Teams from the NTT PUPR Service and the East Flores Regency PUPR Office and Sikka have conducted temporary surveys for the northern route and can be passed by diffuse trucks.

"We must guarantee access to all of them, especially logistics access for East Flores, fuel, and others. We are waiting for information from the Volcanology authorities," he explained.

Mount Lewotobi Men in East Flores are now in Alert or Level IV status.

Seven villages spread across Wulanggitang and Ile Bura sub-districts have now fled to evacuation posts prepared by the local government and residents' homes.