Mount Sinabung Activity Decreases, 650 Evacuees Return Home

Activity at Mount Sinabung in Karo Regency, North Sumatra, has begun to show a decrease following its eruption in late August 2026.

The situation has allowed hundreds of residents who had taken shelter in Suka Tepu village to return to their homes.

Armen Putra, head of the Mount Sinabung monitoring post at the Geology Agency of the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources (ESDM), said that 201 families, or around 650 people, began returning to Kuta Tengah village on Monday (7/9).

“The evacuees are allowed to return to their villages starting today,” Armen told CNNIndonesia.com on Monday.

Nevertheless, Mount Sinabung remains at Level III (Siaga) alert status. The public is still being asked to remain vigilant and to comply with safety recommendations issued by the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG).

“So there are no longer any residents at the evacuation shelters, even though Mount Sinabung’s status is still on alert,” he explained.

Armen explained that the residents’ return was carried out after the recommended danger zone radius for Mount Sinabung was reduced, from 6 kilometres to 5 kilometres from the summit.

“Kuta Tengah village is not within the 6-kilometre radius from the peak of Mount Sinabung, so it is safe enough for residents to return to their village,” he said.

Armen said that as of Monday (7/9/2026), Mount Sinabung had not erupted again. Its volcanic activity has also been observed to be declining compared with previous days.

“Activity has also begun to decrease somewhat compared with previous days. We urge residents not to enter the red zones,” he said.

Mount Sinabung, located in Ndokum Siroga village, Simpang Empat district, Karo Regency, North Sumatra, erupted on Monday (31/8) at 10.17 Western Indonesian Time, with an ash column reaching 3,500 metres above the summit.

Following the eruption, the Centre for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG) officially raised Mount Sinabung’s status from Level II (Waspada) to Level III (Siaga). Mount Sinabung last erupted in 2022.

The eruption was an initial eruption, and there remains the potential for a larger one. For this reason, the public is being asked to remain vigilant and to follow all recommendations issued by PVMBG.