Refugees greet Idul Fitri in camps

GARUT, West Java: Nearly 10,000 people displaced by the eruption of Mount Papandayan will be greeting Idul Fitri on Friday in refugee camps in Garut regency.

Although Idul Fitri draws near, displaced persons remain in several camps in Cisurupan, Bayongbong and Cikajang.

The volcano first erupted on Nov. 11 and has spewed mud and debris into rivers at its foot.

A senior staff member of the Directorate General for Volcanology and Mitigation, Mas Atje Purbawinata, said volcanic activity was expected to continue and locals should remain alert for a possible major eruption.

Further hardship could follow for residents should heavy rains occur, as a million cubic meters of volcanic matter sitting on the crater's edge could be washed down the mountain's slopes.

Donations have been distributed to the displaced persons to ease their burden. -- Antara