Until Tuesday, at 18:00 local time, the Mount Semeru evacuation posts were spread across 21 locations, with a total of 781 refugeesJakarta (ANTARA) - The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) noted that the number of Mount Semeru refugees in Lumajang District, East Java, had increased to 781.
"Until Tuesday, at 18:00 local time, the Mount Semeru evacuation posts were spread across 21 locations, with a total of 781 refugees," BNPB acting head of disaster data, information, and communication center, Abdul Muhari, noted in a written statement on Wednesday.
Muhari remarked that the weather around Mount Semeru and Lumajang District was dominated by moderate to heavy rains, with the possibility of causing a flood of cold lava that carried the remaining eruption debris. Muhari has advised the community residing in river basins to be aware of this condition.
Currently, the activity level of Mount Semeru is still at level IV or alert. People are not allowed to conduct any activities along the Besuk Kobokan River as far as 19 km from the summit.
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Moreover, people are prohibited from conducting activities at a distance of 500 meters from the riverbank along Besuk Kobokan since it has the potential to be hit by hot clouds and lava flows up to a distance of 19 km from the summit.
The community must be aware of the potential for avalanches of hot cloud, lava avalanches, and lava along rivers and valleys that start at the top of Mount Semeru, especially along Besuk Kobokan, Besuk Bang, Besuk Kembar, and Besuk Sat rivers as well as the potential for lava in the small rivers that connect to Besuk Kobokan.
One of the evacuation points was in Penanggal Village Hall, Candipuro Sub-district, Lumajang District. Operations Control Center Officer of the Lumajang Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) Kustari stated that data collection of refugees was conducted daily.
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"Most of the residents return to their homes in the morning until noon. They go back to the evacuation post in the afternoon," Kustari remarked.
Kustari noted that most of the evacuees returned to their homes in the morning to take care of their farm, garden, and livestock.
Earlier, the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency (PVMBG) reported that Mount Semeru had erupted on Sunday at 2:46 a.m. local time. It emitted hot cloud, with an eruption column height reaching 1,500 meters above the peak.
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Translator: Devi Nindy Sari R, Resinta S
Editor: Fardah Assegaf
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