Over Ten Thousand Sinabung Refugees Back To Villages

Medan, N Sumatra, Feb 19 (Antara) - A total of 10,032 Mount Sinabung eruption refugees in Karo District, North Sumatra, have returned back to their villages, an official said. "Villages of the refugees who were sent back to their homes are located outside the dangerous zone of a radius of five kilometers from Sinabung`s crate," Coordinator of Sinabung`s Disaster Mitigation Center Jhonson Tarigan said on Wednesday. He said that they were sent back to their homes by the local government of Karo District in cooperation with the disaster mitigation task forces. Those returning to their villages consisted of 4,954 or 1,452 families to Batu Karang village, 657 or 196 families Rimo Kayu, 234 or 68 families to Cimbang village and 311 or 93 families to Ujung Payung village. Other Villages with returning residents were Kutambelin with 990 villagers or 265 families, Gung Pinto (551 or 146 families), Naman village (1,533 or 424 families, Sukandebi (902 or 259 families). "The number of returning refugees has continued to increase since Monday," said Jhonson. Thousands of refugees have returned back to their hamlets after the recommendation from the Volcanology and Geology Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG). "Some refugees who live outside a radius of five kilometers were sent back to their residences," Chief of Non-Government Cooperation Section of Social Ministry, Subekti Haribawa in Kabanjahe, South Sumatra stated, when called from Jakarta on Monday. Subekti added that on the Monday morning, about 226 people or 88 families from Cimbung Village and 305 people or 101 families Ujung Payung Village were sent back to their residences. "This week, all the refugees will gradually return to their residences," he added. Subekti explained that 1,004 people or 289 families from Kungpinto Village and Kutambelin Villages were also sent back to their villages. Meanwhile, 1,992 people or 303 families from Sukandebi Village who were evacuated from Jambur Korpri also went back. Before returning back to their villages, the refugees cleaned up the residences and public facilities with the help of the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), police and volunteers. Previously, 5,783 refugees from Batu Karang Village, Rimo kayu Village and Naman Village went back to their residences. The villagers were urged to obey the government recommendations and the prohibition on conducting activities within a radius of five kilometers.