MT SINABUNG EVACUEES ASKED NOT TO RETURN HOME

By Andi Abdussalam

Jakarta, Sept 3 (ANTARA) - Thousands of refugees in Tanah Karo district, North Sumatra were on Friday called on not to return to their homes for the time being following the eruption of MT Sinabung for the third time in a week on Friday.          The authorities also warned them of the danger of possible lava floods when rain falls on  the mountain's slopes.          The 2,640-m-high Mount Sinabung erupted for the first time (after the last one in 1600) on Sunday (Aug 29) at around 00.15 am local time, causing over 25,000 residents to flee their homes for safer places.          It erupted for the second time on Monday (Aug 30) at around 6.30 am. It spewed thick volcanic ash, and cloud, and caused an earthquake which lasted for three minutes.          Some refugees had earlier returned home but were once again evacuated Friday morning when the volcano showed increased activities, just an hour before it erupted for the third time.           It caused visibility  in Tanah Karo district to become substantially obstructed by volcanic ash since early on Friday. "Visibility is very bad," chief of Sukanalu village, Naman Teran subdistrict, Paten Sitepu, said.          Paten said the smoke coming out of the volcano was like thick fog covering the mountain.          Thousands of people were evacuated. The evacuation was done on Friday morning, at 3 am local time, according to Sastrawan Ginting, a villager of Kuta Rakyat.  "Some refugees, including hundreds of Kuta Rakyat residents, who had returned home after the first eruption, were evacuated again this morning. They had gone back to their village to take care of their agricultural fields that have been neglected," Ginting, the village's security coordinator, said.          In the meantime,  the local people who live in the down stream areas of rivers that run down from the slopes of Mt Sinabung  are warned of possible lava floods. "We issue this warning to the locals because rain of late often falls around the slopes of Mount Sinabung, which erupted early last Sunday," Iman K Sinulingga of the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, said.         He said that Mount Sinabung was still in its Level IV alert status so that his side recommended several matters that should be paid attention to by  refugees and the Karo regional government.          Sinulingga said that residents who stayed and had activities within a radius of 6 km from Mt Sinabung's crater should be evacuated to safer places.  If there is ash rain residents should use face masks and cover their water tanks which they use for drinking water.          "Residents are asked to remain patient in following the instructions of the task forces because Mt Sinabung's nature of eruption and activities is not recognized. Task forces and local government should continue to coordinate in the field," he said.          Owing to the danger nature of the volcano, residents were called on to stay in their emergency makeshifts. When handing over assistance to them, Muhammadiyah chairman Din Syamsuddin called on them to remain patient and tough in the face of the ordeals.          In the meantime, humanitarian aid has also been flowing since this week.  The second stage assistance from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived on Thursday.          Director for emergency affairs of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Untung said that President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's assistance consisted of four trucks of logistics.           The president has extended his first aid which was handed over by BNPB deputy for disaster handling, Soetrisono, and was received by Tanah Karo district head DD Sinulingga. It included 30,000 masks, and 7,500 containers of milk.       The second stage assistance on the other and was handed over by BNPB deputy for logistics affairs, Samijan, to the Tana Karo district head.          The second assistance consisted of 8,500 blankets, 1,000 pieces of mats, 500 pieces of rolling tents, 3,000 cartons of noodles, 2,000 cartons of promina milk and 200 dozens of female underwear. It also included 500 cartons of napkins, 3,000 packages of medicines, 600 liters of cooking oil, 120 kg of salted fish ad 850 kg of sugar.           "We hope this assistance would be used as well as possible for the need of evacuees," Samijan said.           Assistance also came from Muhammadiyah Chairman Din Syamsuddin who on Thursday visited and provided the assistance. In his address when handing over the assistance Din asked the evacuees to be patient and tough in the face of the ordeals. "We have to be patient in the face of this challenge," he said.      Din among other handed over 15 sacks of rice, 150 kg of sugar, 120 pieces of sarongs, one box of sardines, milk and instant noodles.          Earlier the Ministry of Social Affairs has also sent aid to the location. It consisted of 50 tons of rice, 960 bottles of soy sauce, 400 cartons of sardines, 120 bottles of cooking oil, 5.000 pieces of blankets, 27,000 face masks, 76  tents,  3,000  sarongs, 2,000 long-sleeve and long-pant  clothes, 200 mats, 4  mobile public kitchens, one truck and one mobile water tank to meet the evacuees' emergency needs      Besides, the government has also set aside a fund of Rp15 billion to help evacuees.    Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono said the funds would be used to provide food, medication and security. "We hope refugees will  be assisted so that they will  at least enjoy a little  convenience because it is not comfortable to stay at emergency or makeshift shelters," he said. ***3*** (A014/A/HAJM/A/S012) 03-09-2010 23:48: