Karangasem Residents Asked To Be Prepared To Face Mount Agung Eruption

Officers evacuated elderly women as a training to deal with the eruption of Mount Agung/ Photo: Antara

BALI - The government of Karangasem Regency in Bali Province is trying to increase the preparedness of residents to face the potential eruption of Mount Agung by holding rehearsals.

Deputy Regent of Karangasem Wayan Artha Dipa while leading a rehearsal for handling the impact of the eruption of Mount Agung in Karangasem, conveyed the importance of understanding residents about the signs of an eruption and the follow-up steps to minimize the impact of disasters caused by volcanic eruptions.

"Training the preparedness of the community on the slopes of Mount Agung for the threat of an eruption, starting from recognizing the signs of an impending eruption, self-evacuating to save themselves to a safe location and a refugee camp, is y important to anticipate disasters that can happen at any time", said Wayan Artha Dipam, quoting Antara, Sunday, October 30.

The Deputy Regent said that community preparedness and resilience are important assets in efforts to mitigate the impact of volcanic eruptions.

Therefore, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Karangasem Regency with the support of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) seeks to build community resilience in dealing with disasters by holding a rehearsal for handling the impact of the eruption of Mount Agung in Ban Village, Kubu District.

"The selection of Pucung Hamlet, Ban Village, as the location of the activity, because Pucung Hamlet is included as an affected hamlet which is in an area prone to the threat of Mount Agung eruption", said the Deputy Regent.

He hoped that the rehearsal could increase residents' understanding of handling the impact of disasters so that residents could act swiftly when a disaster occurred due to the eruption of Mount Agung.

The rehearsal for handling the impact of the Mount Agung eruption was attended by BNPB Deputy Prevention, Prasinta Dewi, Director of BNPB Early Warning, Afrial Rosa, as well as Bali Provincial BPBD officials and related regional apparatus organizations.

Prasinta said that the rehearsal was very important to increase public understanding of the signs of a volcanic eruption and the rescue steps that must be taken, including the self-evacuation process.

"This is important to reduce the risk of danger and loss of life when a volcanic eruption occurs", she said.