Deputy for Pollution and Environmental Damage Control at the Environment Ministry Rasio Ridho Sani said on Thursday the eight families are among 30 directly affected by the contamination.
"We have carried out the first phase of relocation for 19 families, or 63 people, in Barengkok, Sukatani Village. Now we are preparing the second phase for eight families totaling 28 people," he said.
The staged relocation is being conducted with the Serang District government, assisted by the police and the military.
"We want this process completed quickly so decontamination can proceed more rapidly and safely," he added.
Sani said three other families have already moved out of the contaminated zone, but the team will continue to verify data on the ground to ensure accuracy.
According to him, relocation is essential so officers can work without the risk of further exposure.
"If residents remain on-site, it could complicate our work and endanger their health because radiation particles may spread through the air," he explained.
He added that the temporary relocation area remains in Barengkok but outside the contamination zone.
"We ensure all residents are now in safe locations and can continue their daily activities," he said.
In addition, 29,700 vehicles at the Cikande Industrial Estate have been inspected for possible Cs-137 contamination.
"The inspections found 47 vehicles contaminated with Cesium-137. All have been successfully decontaminated," Sani said.
Last August, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) returned frozen shrimp shipments from Indonesia after detecting radioactive Cs-137 contamination.
Following that, the Cs-137 Radionuclide Radiation Management Task Force sealed off a factory area suspected of being the contamination source in Cikande while decontamination continues.
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Translator: Resinta Sulistiyandari
Editor: Anton Santoso
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