Asia-Pacific
Indonesia's volcano evacuees return home amid top alert
(Xinhua)
Updated: 2010-09-01 20:44
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JAKARTA -- Thousands of evacuees of Indonesia 's volcano eruption in Sumatra island have returned to their homes at risky zone as the volcano is still on top alert, officials said on Wednesday.
Thousands of evacuees have come back to their house, which most of them are located in the dangerous zone of 6 kilometers from the volcano, official of the National Disaster Management Agency named only Sigit said.
"Some of them return to the shelters at night after doing their daily activity at their house compound and some others stay at their house for permanent," he told Xinhua over phone from Karo district of North Sumatra.
Head of the National Volcanology Agency named only Surono said that the agency has not recommended the evacuees to return home located at the dangerous zone as the status of the volcano is still on top alert.
"Eruption can occur at any time. We have not downgraded the top alert status of the mount yet," he said.
Although mount Sinabung's have spewed smoke and ash weaker than the first and the second day of eruption, the agency officials have not seen any signs to downgrade the alert status of the mount so far, said Surono.
"We are not responsible on those return at the dangerous zone," he said.
Mount Sinabung of 2,400 meters high erupted on Sunday morning and Monday morning after over 400 years dormancy, spewing ashes and smoke by up to 2,500 meters high.
The eruption killed two people and threatened to international aviation if wind kick up.
It has disturbed some domestic flights and the authorities have warned planes to avoid the area near the mount.
Indonesia lies on vulnerable quake-hit zone so called the " Pacific Ring of Fire" and has 129 active volcanoes.