"We dispatch our tactical vehicle to areas that are not easily reachable by regular cars," PMI Secretary General Sudirman Said was quoted by ANTARA as saying in Sukabumi, West Java, on Tuesday.
The dispatch of Hagglunds to the targeted disaster zones was aimed at assisting PMI rescuers in evacuating the affected local residents.
With technical capabilities to tackle any emergency situation, the PMI has often deployed these tactical vehicles during major catastrophes, including Central Sulawesi's tsunami and soil liquefaction and the recent flash floods in three sub-district areas in Sukabumi District.
The PMI has not merely dispatched two Hagglunds to open access roads in isolated areas and support the evacuation process and delivery of humanitarian aid packages, but it has also sent two water trucks to serve those staying at temporary shelters, he stated.
Mount Merapi repeatedly erupted over the past decade. In 2010, ANTARA had noted that its eruption claimed some 300 lives.
On June 21, 2020, the 2,930-meter-high volcano, situated on the border of Yogyakarta's Sleman District and Central Java Province, again erupted twice, producing a six thousand-meter-high ash column.
During that time, Head of the Sleman District Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Makwan revealed that the height of the first eruption's ash column was estimated at six thousand meters from Mount Merapi's peak, while its amplitude was recorded at 75 millimeters.
However, no ash rain was produced during the two eruptions, and the situation remained secure in Glagaharjo Village, Cangkringan Sub-district, Sleman District, Yogyakarta Province, following the eruptions, he stated.
On November 9, 2020, some 50 villagers, largely toddlers, pregnant women, and seniors, residing on Mount Merapi’s slopes were evacuated to temporary refugee camps in Tlogolele, Selo, Boyolali, Central Java, as a precautionary measure against the volcano's eruption.
According to Solekan, a local community leader, and volunteers, the evacuees were from the villages of Dukuh Stabelan and Takeran. The number of evacuees is expected to increase, as more residents would soon be moved to a safer area, he stated.
Joint teams comprising the military, police, PMI (Red Cross), local disaster mitigation officers, and volunteers conducted the evacuation by applying the requisite health protocols against COVID-19, he remarked.
Earlier, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo had urged local villagers to stay vigilant though avoid panicking. Related news: Indonesia's Mount Merapi erupts twice on Sunday
Related news: Mount Merapi erupts again, spewing huge ash cloud
EDITED BY INE
Translator: Aditia AR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Suharto
Copyright © ANTARA 2020
