President Asks Sinabung Evacuees to Remain Patient

Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono appealed on Sunday morning to evacuees of the Mount Sinabung eruptions in North Sumatra not to return home until the situation is declared safe. The President made the appeal on his twitter account @SBYudhoyono a day after volcanic debris spewed by Mount Sinabung in Karo District, North Sumatra, killed at least 14 villagers. "I am saddened (by the deaths). I have asked them to continue to stay at the shelters, remain patient and not to return to their villages until the situation is safe," the President said. Yudhoyono said he had phoned the head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) to take quick and proper steps to ensure that there would be no more fatalities. "I appeal to the local people to abide by officers' instructions, and avoid traveling to the dangerous zone. Eruptions may happen any time. Remain alert to anticipate the worst possibility," he said. Data from the BNPB show 14 people were killed and three others suffered from burns in the catastrophic volcanic eruption. Spokesperson of the Media Center at the local Disaster Mitigation Camp Post of Kabanjahe, Johnson Tarigan, said the 14 victims were burned by molten debris in Sukameriah Village, Payung Subdistrict. Meanwhile, three villagers were seriously injured by volcanic debris. They were burnt by volcanic debris while returning to their home in Sukameriah Village, which is located 2.7 km from Mount Sinabung's peak. Previously on Friday (Jan 31) the Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) stated that no significant activity had occurred on Mount Sinabung, allowing some villagers to return home. Only villagers living outside the five kilometer radius from the peak were allowed to return to their villages. Head of BNPB's Data and Information Center Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said 13,828 villagers had returned to 16 villages located outside the five kilometer radius, while the remaining 30,117 from 32 villages were continuing to take refuge in 42 camps. Sukameriah was not among the villages declared safe by the PVMBG. (*)