[Congkasae.com/Travel] There was something unusual about what was felt by the people of several villages in Ile Ape and East Ile Ape sub-districts, Lembata district, East Nusa Tenggara on Sunday Morning, November 29.
The reason is Ile Lewotolok, who has slept for decades, apparently awakened from her long sleep.
“Sang Ile”, which in the local language means mountain for decades, was asleep enjoying his beautiful dream for the first time he woke up.
Mount Ile Lewotolok last erupted in 1989, which means that it is 31 years old and has the status of an active volcano but not dangerous.
The mountain was recorded to have erupted in 1660, 1819, 1852, 1864, 1889 and November 2020.
Since October 2017, Ile Lewotolok has actually started to show its activities, this can be seen from the monitoring of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) which began to raise the status of Ile Lewotolok from level I to level II with the title of alert.
A BMKG parameter which, if translated in layman's language, means that the volcano is still active and ready to spit out larvae at any time.
It's true that magma activity in the stomach of Ile Lewotolok has recently started to increase, its peak was on Sunday (29/11/020).
Ile Lewotolok emitted smoke and volcanic ash as high as 4,000 meters from the top of the crater, until Sunday evening there was also the incandescent larva vomit from the mouth of the Ile Lewotolok crater continuously.
The residents from several villages who live around Ile Lewotolok scatter to save themselves.
"Based on the results of a thorough analysis, on 29 November 2020 at 13:00 WITA, the activity level of the Ile Lewotolok Volcano was raised from Level II (Alert) to Level III (Alert)," said Head of the Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) Kasbani, in his official statement to the media crew.
The residents who were already panicking finally rushed to Lewoleba city, the capital of Lembata district, bringing their makeshift items.
The elderly who could not walk had to be carried before the police and TNI trucks with the government and BASARNAS arrived to pick them up.
The Head of the Regional Disaster Management Agency (BPBD) Lembata Regency, Kanis Making, explained that his party had taken anticipatory steps since the first eruption on Friday (27/11/2020), so as to quickly remind and evacuate residents.
"We have anticipated it since the previous eruption, Friday (27/11/2020). So, the team has been there, and since the morning of the incident, it has been there and arranged for the evacuation of residents, "Kanis Making told to reporter in Lembata.
Based on data released by the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) at least more than 2000 residents have been evacuated to the city of Lewoleba due to the eruption of Ile Lewotolok. BNPB said that the refugees were placed in several locations.
"As in the old regent's office, the Ankara Hall, Lewoleba Tengah sub-district, Tapo Langu and the Regional Civil Service Agency office," the statement released on the official BNPB website.
