Emergency Status on Mount Agung Extended

Jakarta, MINA – The National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) has declared to extend the emergency period of Mount Agung for 14 days to 26 October 2017 in connection with the ongoing alert status of the volcano to date.

Head of BNPB Willem Rampangilei in Karangasem, Bali, Saturday (14/10), explained that the emergency extension will be applied as long as Gunung Agung is still in alert status, the Foreign Ministry said on its official website recently.

This is for the third time the status is enforced based on the decision of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Management (PVMB).

Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika through a letter signed on October 13, 2017 has declared the emergency of refugee handling.

BNPB mentioned as long as the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) still impose the alert status, then the emergency will surely take effect. This is done to provide easy access for central government and local officials in the administration of refugee handling.

As an illustration, Mount Sinabung in Karo Regency of North Sumatra Province, the Disaster Emergency Response status has been in effect for more than two years since Mount Sinabung has been put on alert status on June 2, 2015, so that every two weeks the local regent extends the emergency response period.

Refugees in nearby area of Gunung Agung are currently recorded as many as 139,199 people in 389 refugee points spread across nine districts/cities in Bali.

Some other refugees returned to their homes despite being banned for being dangerous on the grounds of being saturated, wanting to work again and caring for livestock and farmland.

PVMBG notes currently the earthquakes are dominated by more shallow volcanic activities with an average magnitude of earthquakes close to the crater below 2 on the Richter scale.

Volcanic earthquake on Saturday morning in six hours of monitoring from 00:00 to 06:00 pm was recorded at 360 times.

PVMBG says the potential for eruption remains high but it can not be ascertained exactly when Mount Agung will erupt or not. (T/R04/RS5)

Mi’raj News Agency (MINA)