Gunung Lewotobi di Flores Timur Berstatus Waspada II
Mount Lewotobi in East Flores its Danger Status to Alert Level II
Editor : Ismail Gani
Translator : Novita Cahyadi
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Kupang (B2B) - Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) menetapkan Gunung Api Lewotobi Perempuan di Kabupaten Flores Timur, Pulau Flores, Nusa Tenggara Timur berstatus waspada Level II.
"Naiknya status gunung itu karena terjadi peningkatan aktivitas vulkanik. Gunung menyemburkan asap putih," kata Kepala Badan Penanggulangan Bencana Daerah (BPBD) NTT Tini Thadeus, di Kupang, Jumat.
"Kami sudah mendapat laporan dari PVMBG bahwa ada penetapan status Gunung Api Lewotobi Perempuan ke waspada level II," katanya.
Sesuai rekomendasi PVMBG, masyarakat yang bermukim di lereng Gunung Lewotobi Perempuan sudah diperingatkan untuk tetap waspada karena sewaktu-waktu gunung tersebut bisa meletus.
"Peringatan dini sudah kami sampaikan kepada masyarakat yang bermukim di kaki gunung Lewotobi di wilayah Kecamatan Wulanggitang itu," katanya menambahkan.
Ia menjelaskan, jika terjadi erupsi Gunung Api Lewotobi Perempuan, lahar yang menyembur akan mengarah ke bagian selatan Kabupaten Flores Timur atau ke arah lautan.
Dia mengatakan masyarakat setempat sudah paham dan tahu cara menyelamatkan diri, karena sudah ada pengarahan-pengarahan sebelumnya.
Walaupun demikian, BPBD NTT tetap menyiagakan pola penanggulangan bila benar-benar terjadi erupsi guna melakukan berbagai bentuk penanganan, termasuk mengevakuasi warga.
Ia menambahkan Gunung Api Rokatenda di Pulau Palue, Kabupaten Sikka yang meletus pada akhir Desember 2013 lalu masih mengeluarkan api dari kawah gunung itu.
Kupang (B2B) - Increased seismic activity reported in Mount Lewotobi located in the East Flores district in Indonesias eastern province of East Nusa Tenggara has led officials to raise its danger status to alert level II.
The volcanos seismicity has shown a marked increase as the crater is emitting smoke, Head of Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency Tini Thadeus stated here on Friday.
"We have received a report that the PVMBG (the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Agency) has raised the danger status of the mountain to alert level II," he noted.
After the alert status was raised, the people living on the slope of the mountain have been urged to stay vigilant for any kind of eventuality.
"We have already issued a warning to the people living on the slope of Lewotobi," he added.
He emphasized that if the mountain indeed erupts, then the lava can flow southward to Flores Timur or to the sea.
He believes that the people already know how to escape in case the volcano erupts, since they have already been given directives about it.
Meanwhile, Mount Rokatenda, which erupted at the end of December 2013, is now still emitting molten lava, and in view of that, the people have been advised to remain alert and stay away from the mountain.
"We have already put up a no-zone sign," he claimed.
The residents of Palue Island, where the volcano is located, had fled to Maumere, the capital of Sikka district, after its eruption. However, they have now chosen to return home after the danger status of the mountain was reduced.
