Serang, Banten (ANTARA) - Vice President Ma'ruf Amin has asked residents affected by the recent eruptions of Mount Ruang in Siau Tagulandang Biaro Islands (Sitaro) Islands, North Sulawesi, to follow the government's directions regarding residential relocation.

"I ask the community to follow the directions given by the government. The government will see the situation if, for example, they must be relocated," he said.

Amin made the remarks while speaking to the press after an event organized by the Banten Regional Committee for Islamic Economy and Finance (KDEKS) at An-Nawawi Tanara Islamic Boarding School here on Saturday.

He affirmed that the government is relocating residents affected by the eruptions for their safety.

According to him, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed Agrarian Affairs and Spatial Planning Minister Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono to prepare land for the relocation of affected residents.

"If the hazard is not too great, perhaps there will be no need to relocate, but if the danger level is adequate, then the alternative will not only be evacuation, but also relocation," he said.

President Widodo chaired a meeting with several cabinet members at the State Palace, Jakarta, on Friday (May 3, 2024) to discuss the plan to relocate residents affected by Mount Ruang's eruptions.

The President directed Minister Yudhoyono to ensure that the land used for the relocation is ready for use.

He also asked that residents who are willing to be relocated be registered for land certification.

Earlier, the BNPB said that 12 thousand residents affected by Mount Ruang's eruption had to be evacuated to safer areas outside the island.

The residents were from Tagulandang Island, Sitaro Islands district, which lies less than 10 kilometers from the volcano's crater.

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Translator: Benardy Ferdiansyah, Raka Adji
Editor: Tia Mutiasari
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