Home Affairs Ministry: Fire brigades deployed to clear volcanic ash from public spaces

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Safrizal Zakaria Ali, Director General of Regional Administration at the Ministry of Home Affairs (Kemendagri), said fire and rescue (Damkar) personnel and vehicles have been deployed to clean public places of volcanic ash from Mount Anak Krakatau.

“Damkar can collaborate with the National Police, which has spraying vehicles, to jointly clean up the volcanic ash that is hazardous to residents’ health,” Safrizal said in a statement in Jakarta on Monday.

The spraying is intended to reduce ash deposits on various surfaces. Volcanic ash on roads risks becoming airborne again when blown by the wind or disturbed by passing vehicles.

A number of affected locations have been targeted for cleaning so that community activities are not further disrupted.

Safrizal said water sprayed from fire brigade vehicles to clean volcanic ash from roads, hospitals and elsewhere was part of a commitment to public service.

The presence of Damkar personnel in Lampung and elsewhere is proof of the state’s rapid presence at disaster locations.

“My thanks go to the Damkar personnel for their active participation. Damkar is present not only to extinguish fires, but also for natural disaster response,” he said.

“Damkar’s other core duties are rescuing victims, protecting property, and carrying out evacuations during fires and other emergencies, including natural disasters, accidents, and the rescue of animals and valuables,” Safrizal said.

Safrizal commended the swift action of Damkar personnel in South Lampung, Bandar Lampung City, Bogor City and elsewhere, who have sprayed roads and cleaned public facilities up to hospitals.

The Geological Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM) said volcanic ash from the eruption of Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait waters has been observed spreading to five provinces: Banten, West Java, Jakarta, Lampung and Bengkulu.