YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia—Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency announced Sunday that it will start allowing the first evacuees from the Mount Merapi volcano eruptions to return home as soon as an assessment by military and police has been completed.
“The assessment process is expected to be completed within one day and one night. Tonight also, the TNI [military] and the police continue to work so we expect the refugees to be patient,” said Head of National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif in Yogyakarta on Sunday.
About 5,000 TNI soldiers and 2,000 police officers are carrying out the assessment.
Syamsul said his agency has received reports that evacuees in a number of places, including Boyolali District, Klaten, and Magelang regency of Sleman, wanted to return home immediately after the geological agency officially announced Sunday morning, local time, that the radius of the hazardous zone around Mount Merapi had been pulled back in most districts around the volcano. There are still designated danger zones ranging from 10 km to 20 km (6.2-12.4 miles) depending on the area.
“But, for the sake of their safety, we hope that the refugees will remain in refugee camps until the assessment process is completed,” Syamsul said.
Hot clouds emanating from Mount Merapi, said Syamsul, are still a major danger because they are unpredictable and Merapi volcano is still at Level III status of alert. There are four status levels: Normal, Caution, Alert, and Danger.
Based on a report from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, the hot volcanic gas clouds can still be found as far as Boyolali District 4.5 km (2.8 mi) from the peak and by the Kali Gendol River 12 km (7.5 mi) away, and at Kali Kuning River 7 km (4.4 mi) away.
Syamsul said that once the assessment is complete, the refugees can start returning home, but it will happen in stages, starting with young men.
Wisnu Wijaya, BNPB Preparedness director said the young men will go first to repair damaged houses.
“We also do not want women, children, sick, or elderly specifically because back home the condition of the houses are still not suitable to live in,” he said.
BNPB estimates, at least some 60,000 refugees will return to their homes following a policy of decreasing radius of the eruption of Mount Merapi disaster zone.
The military and national police will take care of the relocation process, providing vehicles and other necessary equipment. Magelang District has 100 military trucks and 70 police trucks are on standby.
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, began erupting on Oct. 26 spewing ash, gas, and lava. While the volcano is still smoldering, experts believe the worst is over.
“The assessment process is expected to be completed within one day and one night. Tonight also, the TNI [military] and the police continue to work so we expect the refugees to be patient,” said Head of National Disaster Management Agency of Indonesia (BNPB) Syamsul Maarif in Yogyakarta on Sunday.
About 5,000 TNI soldiers and 2,000 police officers are carrying out the assessment.
Syamsul said his agency has received reports that evacuees in a number of places, including Boyolali District, Klaten, and Magelang regency of Sleman, wanted to return home immediately after the geological agency officially announced Sunday morning, local time, that the radius of the hazardous zone around Mount Merapi had been pulled back in most districts around the volcano. There are still designated danger zones ranging from 10 km to 20 km (6.2-12.4 miles) depending on the area.
“But, for the sake of their safety, we hope that the refugees will remain in refugee camps until the assessment process is completed,” Syamsul said.
Hot clouds emanating from Mount Merapi, said Syamsul, are still a major danger because they are unpredictable and Merapi volcano is still at Level III status of alert. There are four status levels: Normal, Caution, Alert, and Danger.
Based on a report from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation, the hot volcanic gas clouds can still be found as far as Boyolali District 4.5 km (2.8 mi) from the peak and by the Kali Gendol River 12 km (7.5 mi) away, and at Kali Kuning River 7 km (4.4 mi) away.
Syamsul said that once the assessment is complete, the refugees can start returning home, but it will happen in stages, starting with young men.
Wisnu Wijaya, BNPB Preparedness director said the young men will go first to repair damaged houses.
“We also do not want women, children, sick, or elderly specifically because back home the condition of the houses are still not suitable to live in,” he said.
BNPB estimates, at least some 60,000 refugees will return to their homes following a policy of decreasing radius of the eruption of Mount Merapi disaster zone.
The military and national police will take care of the relocation process, providing vehicles and other necessary equipment. Magelang District has 100 military trucks and 70 police trucks are on standby.
Mount Merapi, Indonesia’s most active volcano, began erupting on Oct. 26 spewing ash, gas, and lava. While the volcano is still smoldering, experts believe the worst is over.
