Indonesia Evacuates 615 Residents as Mount Sinabung Eruption Threat Grows

Indonesia evacuated 615 residents from Kuta Tengah village in North Sumatra’s Karo Regency after Mount Sinabung’s volcanic activity intensified following a major eruption earlier in the week.

The evacuees, from about 211 families, were taken to an emergency response post in Sukatepu village in Naman Teran district. Berton SP Panjaitan, acting head of the National Disaster Management Agency’s data, information and disaster communication center, said the move aimed to protect residents from volcanic hazards.

Authorities prioritized people living closest to areas considered vulnerable to eruptions. Payung village also lies within a potentially exposed area, but residents there remained at home while a joint response team monitored the situation and urged them to stay alert.

The evacuation followed a decision by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation to raise Sinabung’s alert status from Level II, or Alert, to Level III, or Standby. The volcano had sent a dense ash column about 3,500 meters above its summit, prompting officials to widen the restricted zone.

The disaster agency urged residents and tourists to stay away from evacuated villages, the area within a 3-kilometer radius of the summit and sectors extending up to 6 kilometers southeast of the volcano. The restrictions follow recommendations from Indonesia’s Geological Agency under the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry.

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Based on preliminary data, around 211 families, or 615 residents of Kuta Tengah Village, have been evacuated to the emergency response post in Sukatepu Village, Naman Teran District.