The Status Of Mount Ruang Turun, Refugees Outside The Red Zone Return Home

The photo archive - You can see Mount Ruang on Ruang Island, Sitaro Islands Regency after the eruption on April 30, 2024.. (ANTARA/HO-PVMBG-BG-KESDM/pri)

JAKARTA - The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said that the refugees would gradually be repatriated after the decline in the status of Mount Ruangan activities.

The BNPB Emergency Handling Deputy Team, Syekh Abdul Qadir, explained that the North Sulawesi provincial government and the Sitaro Regency Government had started processing the return of refugees outside the red zone, especially those outside Ruang Island.

For refugees outside the red zone, especially outside Ruang Island, the provincial government and the Sitaro Regency Government have started the process of repatriating refugees in four regencies and cities. Meanwhile, refugees who are included in the red zone or those who are relocated are still scattered in the five regencies and cities," he explained as quoted by ANTARA, Wednesday, May 15.

In addition to processing the repatriation of the refugees, he also said that his party had coordinated with the North Sulawesi Provincial Education Quality Guarantee Board regarding the implementation of school exams for students who were refugees after the decline in the status of the Mount Ruangan level.

Syekh explained that teaching and learning activities for the refugees will still be carried out at predetermined points, including later school exams which will be carried out jointly at each point.

"So there are already plans for emergency schools and how will it be to carry out the exam together. So the strategy is that each school is in an occupancy location, both schools around the evacuation period, but when entering the exam period, in one momentum, all points carry out joint exams, even though the places are different, and this will be facilitated by the local education office," he continued.

Earlier on Monday (13/5), the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) announced the decline in the status of Mount Ruang in Sitaro Regency, North Sulawesi, from level IV or alert to level III or standby.

"Viscous earthquakes tend to be lower, dominated by tectonic earthquakes, which are thought to be the effect of subduction to North Sulawesi and double subduction in the Maluku Sea," said PVMBG Head Hendra Gunawan.