BNPB: 615 Villagers Evacuated to Avoid Exposure to Mount Sinabung Eruption

The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) has announced that 615 villagers have been evacuated by joint personnel to shelters to anticipate the dangers of Mount Sinabung’s eruption in Karo Regency, North Sumatra.

Speaking in Jakarta on Wednesday, the Acting Head of the BNPB Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Centre, Berton SP Panjaitan, stated that the evacuation was carried out in response to increased volcanic activity following major eruptions since the beginning of the week.

“Based on preliminary data, approximately 211 families or 615 individuals from Kuta Tengah Village are currently located at the Emergency Handling Post in Sukatepu Village, Naman Teran District,” he said.

Berton explained that evacuation measures were prioritised for residents living near high-risk eruption zones. In addition to Kuta Tengah Village, Payung Village in the Payung District is also within the potential impact area of the Sinabung eruption.

“As for the residents of Payung Village, they are reported to be staying in their respective homes for now, but remain on full alert under the monitoring of joint teams,” he added.

The BNPB Directorate of Operations Control confirmed that this mass evacuation is a response to the increased activity level of Mount Sinabung, which was officially raised from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Siaga) by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) of the Geological Agency.

The volcano previously ejected a thick ash column reaching 3,500 metres above the summit.

To ensure public safety, the danger zone has now been expanded. The BNPB has urged residents and tourists to avoid all relocated villages, a 3-kilometre radius from the summit, and a sectoral radius of up to 6 kilometres towards the south-east, as recommended by the Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.