On Apr 22, the PVMBG lowered the alert level of Mt Ruang to three but still declared the volcanic island as well as parts of Tagulandang within a four-kilometre radius from the crater off limits. The centre warned that Mt Ruang continued to show activity and has not returned to normal.
The warning has not deterred a few Ruang residents from secretly returning to inspect their damaged homes and retrieve some of their belongings.
“I came to pick up my generator, my washing machine and a few other tools we will use at our refugee camp,” a Ruang Island resident named Mr Dikson told Indonesian news portal Berita Satu on Tuesday (Apr 23).
Mr Lilik Kurniawan, BNPB deputy for logistics and equipment, said officials will conduct patrols and erect warning signs to keep residents from entering the island.
“We want to remind people that the island is still considered as a high risk area,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
Mr Lilik also promised the authorities would meet the evacuees’ need for shelter, food and clothes.
Dr Eko, the disaster mitigation expert, said it is important to ensure that the locals stay away from the exclusion zone, which can be in place for years as is the case with Marapi.
“In many disaster situations that I have observed, the number one killer is complacency, the thinking (that) ‘I’ll just ignore the warnings for a little while, it will be alright’. Especially now that volcanic activities have receded and people are getting tired of living in refugee camps,” he said.
“The situation can deteriorate again. The volcano can still erupt. People need to stay vigilant.”
