Maintain Safety, 5,000 Victims Of Mount Ruang Eruption Are Prohibited From Leaving Refugees

Hundreds of residents affected by the eruption of Mount Ruang queued up for the evacuation process using KRI Kakap-811 at Tagulandang Port, Sitaro Islands, North Sulawesi, Wednesday, May 1, 2024). (ANTARA PHOTO-Andri Saputra)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has banned more than 5,000 residents of Tamulandang Island, Sitaro Islands Regency, North Sulawesi (Sulut) who were victims of the eruption of Mount Ruang leaving the refugee camps.

Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information and Communication Center Abdul Muhari said this was done for the safety of residents because it was feared that there would be a bigger eruption, so they would be safe if they remained in refugee camps.

"At least wait for the next week or two if the condition of the mountain continues to slope and it is confirmed that it is completely normal for those who have been evacuated, we will take them back to Tamulandang," he said in Jakarta, Tuesday, May 7, which was confiscated by Antara.

Based on the monitoring of the BNPB team, the current condition of Mount Ruang is more stable, marked by no more volcanic ash coming out of the summit but only white smoke.

The distance from the recommendation to watch out for Mount Ruang, he continued, has been lowered from seven kilometers to five kilometers in line with the decline in volcanic activity in the strato-type volcano.

However, Abdul said, the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) which still stipulates the status of Mount Ruang is at Level IV or Alert should be considered, because it means that there is still a risk of further eruptions or other parts of volcanology activity.

"That is the consideration why they don't go home immediately. Learning from previous experiences during the eruption on April 17, some residents returned home, then there was another eruption on April 30, we don't want this to happen again," he said.

On the other hand, BNPB has also decided not to evacuate the residents of Tagulandang out of the island as targeted by 9,000-12,000 people who were transferred.

According to him, the decision was made due to a decrease in the safe limit distance from seven kilometers to five kilometers recommended by the Geological Agency.

"The total number applies to a distance of seven kilometers, now because the radius has been reduced to five kilometers, it means that we have not evacuated more massively because the number of more than five thousand people is enough," he said.

Previously, the Head of BNPB Suharyanto said that all basic needs, including food, health, and security for the victims, would be sufficient while in refugee camps.

Based on recapitulation data, the total number of Tamulandang residents who were successfully evacuated outside the island as of Sunday, May 5,849 people.

Thousands of victims were evacuated using nine of the 11 fleets of ships belonging to Basarnas, Indonesian Navy, Customs and Excise Ministry of Finance to private ferries to evacuations, including those located on Siau Island, Manado City, and North Minahasa, Munte, Bitung.

"In the evacuation, they already have a public kitchen complete with basic necessities, food, including vegetables and fruit in sufficient quantities during this emergency response period," he said.