Mount Sinabung activity declines as 650 evacuees return home

About 650 people have begun returning home after activity at Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra’s Karo regency showed signs of declining following an eruption in late August.

Armen Putra, head of the Sinabung monitoring post at the Geological Agency of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry, said 201 families began returning to Kuta Tengah village on Monday, Sept. 7, 2026. “The evacuees have been allowed to return to their village starting today,” Armen told CNN Indonesia.

The return followed a reduction in the recommended danger-zone radius around the volcano, from 6 kilometers to 5 kilometers from its summit. Kuta Tengah lies outside the former 6-kilometer zone and was considered safe enough for residents to go back.

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The evacuees have been allowed to return to their village starting today.

Sinabung remains at Level III, or Alert. Armen said the volcano had not erupted again by Monday and that its activity had declined compared with previous days. Residents were still urged to remain vigilant and stay out of red zones, in line with recommendations from the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation.

The volcano erupted on Aug. 31, sending an ash column 3,500 meters above its summit. Authorities then raised its status from Level II, or Watch, to Level III. The eruption was described as an initial eruption with the potential for a larger event, and residents were told to follow all safety recommendations.

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Its activity has also begun to decline somewhat compared with the past few days. We hope residents will not enter the red zones.