Some 50 villagers, largely toddlers, pregnant women, and seniors, residing on Mount Merapi’s slopes were evacuated to temporary refugee camps in Tlogolele, Selo, Boyolali, Central Java, Monday, as a precautionary measure against the volcano's eruption.
Solekan, a local community leader, and volunteers stated here on Monday that the evacuees were from the villages of Dukuh Stabelan and Takeran.
The number of evacuees is expected to increase as more residents would soon be moved to a safer area, he stated.
Joint teams comprising the military, police, PMI (Red Cross), local disaster mitigation officers and volunteers conducted the evacuation by applying the requisite health protocols against COVID-19, he remarked.
Dukuh Stabelan and Takeran are inside the Disaster Prone Area (KRB) level III or some three to 3.5 kilometers from the volcano's summit, Sungadi, the Tlogolele Village chief, stated.
A public kitchen has been set up to offer food to refugees.
The joint team from the BPBD Boyolali Regency Government, PMI, Health Office, TNI, police, village, and sub-district volunteers have made all necessary preparations, including public kitchens for the refugees.
The Yogyakarta Geological Disaster Technology Research and Development Center (BPPTKG) raised the status of Mount Merapi, located on the border of Central Java and Yogyakarta.
Based on the monitoring of Mount Merapi from October to November 2020, its seismicity has intensified due to the volcanic activities.
The southern slope of Mount Merapi belongs to Sleman District, Yogyakarta, while other slopes are part of Central Java Province, specifically in Magelang on the west side; Boyolali at the north and east; and Klaten on the southeast.
Responding to this sign of natural danger, the Sleman regency government declared a disaster alert status. The Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) of Sleman Regency will also begin evacuating vulnerable groups living in the danger zone of Mount Merapi in the near future.
Earlier, Yogyakarta Governor Sri Sultan Hamengku Buwono X and Central Java Governor Ganjar Pranowo had urged local villagers to stay vigilant though avoid panicking.
In 2010, Mount Merapi had erupted and killed some 300 people.
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