This morning, they have returned to their respective homes. No one remained at the Glagaharjo Village CenterYogyakarta (ANTARA) - At least 193 residents of Kalitengah Lor, Sleman District, Yogyakarta, who shifted to the Glagaharjo Village Center for safety after Mount Merapi erupted on Wednesday evening (March 9, 2022) have returned to their homes.
"This morning, they have returned to their respective homes. No one remained at the Glagaharjo Village Center," acting head of the Yogyakarta Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD), Biwara Yuswantana, confirmed in Yogyakarta Thursday.
The evacuees comprised 114 adults, 38 elders, 40 children or toddlers, and 1 pregnant woman, he informed.
According to Yuswantana, residents decided to shift to Glagaharjo Village Center after hearing loud, rumbling sounds as Mount Merapi emitted hot clouds on Wednesday evening. "Last night, the sound was loud," he said.
It is now safe for people living on the slopes of Merapi to return to their homes, he added.
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Meanwhile, volcanic materials coming out of Mount Merapi are still flowing through the river streams but they are not headed to residential settlements, he informed.
"The current condition is still safe. (They) can go back," he said.
Mount Merapi spewed hot clouds that rose 2 km southeast and emitted incandescent lava seven times, with a maximum sliding distance of 1,800 meters to the southwest on Wednesday evening, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported.
The Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) also recorded volcanic ash rain that impacted a number of areas including Tlogolele village in Selo sub-district, Boyolali district and Gantang village, Sawangan sub-district, Magelang district.
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BPPTKG assured that the activity in the volcano located on the border of Yogyakarta and the Central Java province has not affected residents living on the mountain’s slopes so far.
"The community does not need to evacuate but (we) continue to monitor (Mt. Merapi) development and if there is a significant one, we will evaluate," BPPTKG head Hanik Humaida said.
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Translator: Luqman H, Kenzu T
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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