120 Residents Relocate As Mount Ibu’s Alert Level Raised To Highest Threat

JAKARTA, Jan 16 (Bernama) -- A total of 120 residents surrounding Mount Ibu in West Halmahera, North Maluku, have voluntarily relocated to Tongotesungi Church in Akesibu village after the volcano’s alert status was raised to its highest level on Wednesday.

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) confirmed on Thursday that the residents include 63 families, comprising 46 children, 11 toddlers, 21 elderly individuals, and 42 adults from six villages in the Ibu sub-district.

Local authorities have set up five temporary shelters, including two churches, two schools, and a multi-purpose hall, to accommodate around 3,000 people living near the volcano, according to BNPB spokesperson Abdul Muhari.

“Mount Ibu erupted again today at 3.45 pm, with an ash column reaching about 1,500 metres above the peak. The ash plume, thick and grey, drifted westward,” he stated in a statement.

In response to the eruption, the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) has declared an emergency response status.

The Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) has expanded the disaster-prone area around Mount Ibu, extending the danger zone to five kilometres and up to six kilometres in the northern part of the volcano.

This expanded zone now includes six villages to mitigate the potential threat of volcanic mudflows and pyroclastic flows, Abdul Muhari added.

BNPB has urged the public to remain calm, avoid spreading misinformation about the eruption, and follow instructions from local disaster management authorities in North Maluku and West Halmahera.

-- BERNAMA