Pemerintah Jepang akan Kirimkan Bantuan

Kerusakan akibat banjir bandang di Hiroshima, Jepang, Selasa (10/7).

KURASHIKI — Jepang berupaya memulihkan utilitas dan membantu korban banjir terburuk dalam 36 tahun, Selasa (10/7). Korban menghadapi risiko kesehatan dari suhu panas dan kurangnya air. Tim penyelamat terus melakukan pencarian korban yang semakin tak ada harapan.

Hujan deras memicu banjir dan longsor di Jepang barat pekan lalu, menewaskan 127 orang dan mendorong Perdana Menteri Shinzo Abe membatalkan perjalanan ke luar negeri untuk mengatasi bencana. Beberapa juta orang mengungsi dari rumah mereka.

Pasokan listrik telah kembali, tetapi tidak pada 3.500 pelanggan, namun lebih dari 200 ribu pelanggan masih tanpa aliran air di bawah terik matahari, dengan suhu sekitar 33 derajat Celsius di beberapa daerah yang paling terkena dampak, seperti Kota Kurashiki.

“Ada permintaan untuk memasang AC karena suhu yang meningkat di atas 30 derajat hari ini, dan pada saat yang sama kita perlu memulihkan jalur kehidupan,” kata Menteri Keuangan Taro Aso kepada wartawan setelah pertemuan kabinet.

Jalan-jalan yang tertutup lumpur kering di Distrik Mabi di Kurashiki menyebabkan debu berterbangan ketika kendaraan penyelamat atau mobil melintas. Para penyintas menceritakan tentang jalan keluar yang sempit.

“Itu sangat sempit. Jika kami berada disana lebih dari lima menit, kami tidak akan selamat,” kata Yusuke Suwa, yang mengendarai mobil dengan istrinya Sabtu pagi ketika sebuah perintah evakuasi datang setelah tengah malam.

“Itu sangat gelap dan kami tidak dapat melihat dengan jelas apa yang terjadi, meskipun kami tahu ada air di luar. Kami tidak menyadari itu menjadi masalah besar,” katanya.

Seperempat wilayah Mabi yang rentan banjir, yang terjepit di antara dua sungai, kebanjiran setelah tanggul runtuh akibat kekuatan hujan lebat minggu lalu. NHK mengatakan jumlah korban tewas banjir naik menjadi setidaknya 127, dengan 63 hilang.

Pemerintah telah menyisihkan 70 miliar yen (631 juta dolar Amerika Serikat) dana infrastruktur untuk menanggapi bencana, dengan 350 miliar yen (3,15 miliar dolar AS) sebagai dana cadangan, Aso mengatakan anggaran tambahan akan dipertimbangkan jika diperlukan.

“Ketika jumlah yang diperlukan menguat kami akan mempertimbangkan anggaran tambahan nanti jika dana ini terbukti tidak cukup,” jelasnya.

Jepang memantau kondisi cuaca dan mengeluarkan peringatan dini. Rumah penduduk yang padat dibangun di lahan yang sebagian besar bergunung-gunung sehingga membuatnya rentan terhadap bencana.

Namun, beberapa penduduk Mabi mengabaikan peringatan itu, mengingat sejarah banjir di daerah itu. “Kami mendapat perintah evakuasi sebelumnya dan tidak ada yang terjadi, jadi saya pikir ini akan sama,” kata Kenji Ishii (57) yang mengabaikan perintah dan tinggal di rumahnya bersama istri dan putranya.

Sebuah perahu militer menarik mereka dari lantai dua rumah, tempat mereka melarikan diri dari air yang semakin tinggi. “Ketika kapal penyelamat mulai datang, mereka dapat menemukan orang yang melihat keluar dari jendela, tetapi mereka yang tinggal di dalam rumah tidak terlihat oleh mereka,” ujar Ishii.

Sebuah perintah evakuasi baru dirilis pada Selasa di sebuah wilayah dari Prefektur Hiroshima, setelah sebuah sungai yang diblokir oleh puing-puing meluap. Hal itu berdampak pada 23 ribu orang.

sumber: REPUBLIKA.CO.ID

Korban Banjir Capai 176 Jiwa, Abe Kunjungi Lokasi Bencana

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia — Perdana Menteri Shinzo Abe mengunjungi sejumlah kawasan terdampak banjir, bencana yang hingga kini sudah menelan 176 jiwa.

CNN melaporkan bahwa Abe memulai rangkaian kunjungannya pada Rabu (11/7) pagi dengan menyambangi wilayah yang terkena dampak paling besar, yaitu Perfektur Okayama.

Abe memantau wilayah yang terkena dampak dari helikoper. Ia kemudian mengunjungi pusat evakuasi di daerah tersebut.

Setelah itu, Abe direncanakan berkunjung ke Kota Kurashiki, kemudian bertemu dengan Gubernur Okayama di sore hari.

Agar dapat fokus menangani bencana ini, Abe membatalkan kunjungannya ke Belgia, Prancis, Arab Saudi, dan Mesir.

Bencana ini sudah melanda Jepang sejak pekan lalu. Memasuki hari Rabu, jumlah korban tewas terus bertambah, sementara sembilan orang lainnya dilaporkan hilang.

Sekitar 74 ribu relawan dan penyelamat pun diterjunkan untuk membantu proses pencarian dan penyelamatan korban.

Kepala Sekretaris Kabinet Jepang, Yoshihide Suga, mengatakan bahwa dampak bencana ini mungkin akan lebih besar karena hujan lebat dapat menyebabkan longsor.

NHK melaporkan bahwa curah hujam mencapai 364 milimeter pada pukul 05.00 hingga 07.00 di Kota Uwajima, sekitar 1,5 kali lebih besar dari curah hujan bulanan pada Juli biasanya.

Sementara itu di Kota Sukumo, curah hujan 263 milimeter menerjang selama dua jam penuh.

Banjir ini disebut-sebut sebagai bencana terbesar di Jepang setelah tragedi Fukushima yang menewaskan 20 ribu orang pada 2011 lalu.

Saat itu, gempa berkekuatan 9 skala Richter menghantam Jepang, memicu tsunami dan kebocoran nuklir di Fukushima. (has)

Banjir Makan 109 Jiwa, PM Jepang Batalkan Dinas Luar Negeri

Banjir Makan 109 Jiwa, PM Jepang Batalkan Dinas Luar Negeri

Jakarta, CNN Indonesia — Perdana Menteri Jepang Shinzo Abe membatalkan lawatannya ke empat negara setelah bencana banjir serta longsor menerjang Hiroshima dan sejumlah kota lain hingga menewaskan setidaknya 109 orang.

Jumlah korban ini merupakan yang tertinggi sejak banjir bandang pada 1983 lalu menewaskan sekitar 117 orang.

Dikutip AFP, kantor berita NHK melaporkan Abe membatalkan turnya ke negara Eropa dan Timur Tengah seperti Belgia, Perancis, Saudi, dan Mesir yang sedianya bakal dimulai Rabu (11/7).

Kunjungannya ke Belgia bertujuan untuk menandatangani kesepakatan perdagangan bebas yang signifikan dengan Uni Eropa.

Selain NHK, sejumlah media lokal lainnya juga turut mengabarkan pembatalan perjalanan Abe tersebut.

Abe dilaporkan telah memberi tahu wakil kepala partai berkuasa, Demokrat, bahwa ia “tidak memiliki pilihan selain membatalkan” perjalanan karena bencana terus memburuk.

Meski begitu, kantor perdana menteri belum mengonfirmasi kabar ini secara resmi.

Abe diperkirakan akan mengunjungi sejumlah daerah-daerah yang paling buruk terdampak banjir dan longsor.

Meski hujan deras telah berangsur reda, air masih menggenangi sejumlah wilayah terdampak seperti Okayama, Hyogo, Yamaguchi Gifu, Ehime, dan Kochi. Ketinggian air di beberapa titik bahkan mencapai lantai dua bangunan.

Hampir 13 ribu orang tak mendapatkan listrik, kata perusahaan listrik setempat pada Senin, sementara banjir dan longsor juga memutus akses air bersih bagi ratusan ribu warga lainnya.

Ribuan rumah dan infrastruktur lain dilaporkan ikut rusak akibat longsor dan banjir. Abe mengatakan pihaknya akan bekerja sama dengan pemerintah lokal untuk menanggapi situasi ini.

“Kami akan bersatu untuk bergerak cepat memberikan kebutuhaan dan bantuan kepada para korban bencana dengan berkoordinasi erat bersama pemerintah lokal,” kata Abe saat menggelar rapat darurat dengan satuan tugas tanggap bencana, seperti dilansir CNN.

Dalam rapat itu, Abe juga menegaskan “pentingnya” memperbanyak tenda-tenda penampungan untuk evakuasi dan membuat perumahan sementara.

Sebanyak 2 juta warga terpaksa mengungsi dari tempat tinggal akibat banjir. Banjir bandang dipicu hujan deras yang turun sejak Jumat pekan lalu.

Sementara itu sebagian warga terjebak banjir sehingga terpaksa menetap di atap rumah dengan kondisi cuaca di siang hari bisa mencapai 30 derajat celcius.

Sekretaris Kabinet Jepang Yoshihide Suga mengatakan curah hujan tinggi melebih rekor selama ini di beberapa wilayah menyebabkan sungai-sungai meluap dan beberapa tanggul jebol hingga menyebabkan banjir.

sumber: cnn indonesia

Banjir Terjang Medan, 63 Rumah Rusak

Banjir Terjang Medan, 63 Rumah Rusak

Medan – Sebanyak 63 unit rumah warga di Medan rusak akibat diterjang angin kencang dan hujan deras yang terjadi. Tiga kecamatan diterjang aliran air.

“Akibat hujan deras diiringi angin kencang, 63 rumah warga di Medan rusak,” kata Kordinator Tim Reaksi Cepat BPBD Medan M Yunus kepada detikcom, Senin (9/7/2018).

Ada tiga kecamatan dan lima kelurahan di Kota Medan yang terdampak angin puting beliung yang terjadi. Hujan terjadi sejak Minggu (8/7) malam hingga Senin (9/7) dini hari. Di antaranya Kecamatan Medan Marelan, Kecamatan Medan Labuhan, dan Kecamatan Medan Deli.

Dampak paling parah akibat cuaca ekstrem tersebut dirasakan warga Kelurahan 600, Kecamatan Medan Marelan.

“Di Kecamatan Medan Marelan ada 40 rumah rusak akibat angin beliung dan hujan deras. Atap rumah warga beterbangan akibat di terjang angin kencang,” ujarnya.

Selain diterjang angin kencang, hujan deras merendam puluhan rumah warga dan ruas jalan di Kota Medan. Hingga siang ini, banjir masih merendam jalan Dr Mansyur, Medan. Ketinggian air mencapai ketinggian lutut orang dewasa.

Air yang merendam rumah warga di Jalan Ayahanda, Medan, kini mulai surut.
(asp/asp)

sumber: detik.com

Amid Japan’s Flood Devastation, Survivors Dig Out

KURASHIKI, Japan — As rain poured and the creeks and rivers that course through the city of Kurashiki began to rise, Miyuki Komada repeatedly tried to call her 70-year-old mother, who was home sick with a cold.

But Ms. Komada, 37, could not get through. And heavy rain Friday drowned out the sound of evacuation sirens. When she and her sister arrived after 9 p.m. they found their mother dozing.

As they drove her out, water was already nearing knee height. Soon after, a nearby levee broke, and water surged to shoulder height within a half-hour, Ms. Komada said.

“If I hadn’t come, my mother would have stayed in bed,” she said. “I’m glad I came.”

As she searched through mud and standing water for what few valuables could be salvaged from the family home on Monday, the risk her mother would have faced was clear. The water line climbed to the second floor of the two-story house, stopping halfway up the windows.

Japanese soldiers patrolled the neighborhood, knocking on doors and asking if everyone was safe from the rains, which produced jarring images of widespread destruction, a reminder that a country known for its orderliness is not immune to the chaos of natural disasters.

The sudden surge of floodwaters in this area of western Japan proved deadly for many. Of the 124 people killed as of early Tuesday morning, 28 were here in the Mabi district of Kurashiki, the public broadcaster NHK reported. To the west, Hiroshima Prefecture reported 45 dead. An additional 63 people were missing.

Thousands are displaced, too. In Okayama Prefecture, which includes Kurashiki, 4,234 people were staying in shelters as of Monday morning, according to the Sanyo Shimbun, a local daily newspaper.

Prime Minister Shinzo Abe canceled a trip to Europe and the Middle East set for later this week to respond to the disaster.

Military and rescue service helicopters slowly circled in the blue skies on Monday, surveying the damage and searching for missing people. Warm, sunny weather helped ease the immediate threat of more flooding. But water continued to carve across what was once a road in Mabi. Deep sand and a roof that had been deposited across both lanes made passage impossible on anything but foot.

This area is usually considered one of the safest in Japan, sheltered from typhoons and with little history of deadly earthquakes or tsunamis. After the 2011 earthquake and tsunami on Japan’s northeastern coast that killed nearly 16,000 people, some moved to this area seeking safety.
Image
Houses in Kurashiki remained submerged on Monday.CreditKyodo News, via Associated Press

Now even this relatively placid area of one of the world’s most prosperous countries feels perilous to those who witnessed the destruction.

“It was quite frightening,” said Tamae Hirose, 57. She had driven through the rising water to safety.

“I just hit the gas, because I knew I couldn’t stay here,” she said.

After returning, she combed through her house, sweeping out water and mud while looking for anything to salvage.

“We don’t know what to do yet,” she said. “All I can do is stay in the evacuation center, come back and clean and look for a new place. I don’t think we can ever live here again.”

Mieko Tamura, 70, said she had experienced a flood once previously here, in 1976. But the water came only to knee height, and she was not worried.
Image
Flooding was still severe on Monday in the Mabi area of Kurashiki.CreditIssei Kato/Reuters

“This time it was so quick,” she said as she cleared debris from the yard of her beauty parlor, where chunks of grass were torn up and a tadpole swam in a puddle.

A loose timber had smashed her front window, and the interior was damp with water and mud. Nothing of value survived.

“Some people around here look like they want to steal stuff,” she said. “I don’t care. They can take anything.”

The flooding has punished Japan’s robust industrial sector as well. Mazda suspended production at factories in Yamaguchi and Hiroshima Prefectures, while Daihatsu halted operations at plants in four prefectures, NHK reported.
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The Asahi Aluminium Industrial Company plant in Okayama exploded late Friday after workers evacuated during the flooding. Neighbors said they had had no warning that the plant posed such a risk.
Image
A resident carrying water on Monday near submerged and destroyed houses in Mabi.CreditIssei Kato/Reuters

Volunteer firefighters had been meeting with local officials when the plant erupted.

“There was a sound like thunder or lightning,” said Junichi Kawata, a volunteer firefighter. “Then I turned around it was like a big fireball. The sky was so red.”

Shattered glass and a collapsed ceiling injured his wife, Hiromi, who had been at home. It took her six hours to receive treatment for the cut on her head because of the difficulty in navigating traffic in the floodwaters.

“We never expected the plant to explode,” she said as she wiped off her daughter’s set of traditional Hina dolls, which she placed in the sun to dry. The dolls were ruined, she said, but she planned to dispose of them in a ceremony rather than throw them away.

Officials from the plant were visiting neighbors Monday to apologize, said Takashi Nakano, a spokesman for Asahi Seiren Co., the parent company of the aluminum plant.

“This is the first time to have such an accident,” he said. “But since we have not conducted site inspection yet, I cannot comment on anything at the moment.”

Ms. Komada, who rescued her mother on Friday, returned Monday for memories of her father. He died four years ago, and a small tablet with his name that was placed near the family Buddhist altar was damaged along with the altar itself.

She placed the tablet and a few mud-smeared photos on a tarp to dry. “Today we came for my father’s tablet,” she said. “Tomorrow we will start the full cleanup.”

source: nytimes.com

Japan floods: At least 122 dead after heavy rain and landslides

(CNN) The rain may have stopped in Japan, but the country is facing a long recovery process after floods and landslides killed at least 122 people in the southwest, officials said Tuesday.

At least 27 people are missing, said the nation’s Fire and Disaster Management Agency.

With emergency rain warnings lifted, the country is turning its focus to search and rescue efforts. Police, fire departments and the military are scouring affected areas for those unaccounted for.

“We will unite and move swiftly to deliver those necessities to the disaster victims by coordinating closely with local government,” said Prime Minister Shinzo Abe in a meeting with the disaster response task force, also noting “the future need” to improve evacuation centers and temporary housing.

Residents began the cleanup, wading through flooded houses and streets.

Rescue operations continue at a collapsed house on July 8, 2018 in Kumano, Hiroshima, Japan.

Rescue operations continue at a collapsed house on July 8, 2018 in Kumano, Hiroshima, Japan.

Thousands of houses have been damaged, and even the ones that stand intact have been impacted. Nearly 17,000 households are still without power, and phone lines are down across multiple prefectures.

Further complicating repair efforts is the fact that many railroads and highways are closed, too flooded to operate, placing many affected areas out of reach.

Homes destroyed

Rains began late last week and intensified over the weekend. Rivers overflowed, landslides crushed buildings, and cars were swept away by floodwater.

“The record rainfalls in various parts of the country have caused rivers to burst their banks, and triggered large-scale floods and landslides in several areas,” Cabinet Secretary Yoshihide Suga said Sunday.

People wait to be rescued on the roof of a house in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture.

People wait to be rescued on the roof of a house in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture.

Two million people were forced to flee their homes, advised or ordered by the government to evacuate. Some, unable to leave, took shelter on their rooftops as flash floods swallowed entire streets.

In Kurashiki near Okayama, soldiers were deployed to carry elderly residents from their homes into waiting boats.

Soldiers carry an elderly woman away from flood water on July 8, 2018 in Kurashiki near Okayama, Japan.

Soldiers carry an elderly woman away from flood water on July 8, 2018 in Kurashiki near Okayama, Japan.

Kazuhiko Ono, who owns a secondhand book store in Hiroshima city, was unable to return to his home and store when the rains first arrived. His wife and children took shelter in the second floor of their home, while the store filled up with water.

“I’m so sad I lost many books,” Ono said. “I can never find them anymore.”

Hiroshima and Ehime prefectures were some of the hardest hit, though nine others were also heavily impacted.

Residents try to upright a vehicle stuck in a flood hit area in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture on July 9, 2018.

Images from Kuyashiki, a city on the southern coast of Okayama Prefecture, show cars overturned or buried in mud.

Japanese public broadcaster NHK reported about 364 millimeters (14.3 inches) of rain fell between 5 a.m. and 7 a.m. Sunday in the city of Uwajima — approximately 1.5 times the average monthly rainfall for July. In Sukumo City in Kochi prefecture, 263 millimeters (10.3 inches) of rain fell in two hours, NHK said.

Residential buildings are partially submerged in floodwaters caused by heavy rains in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Saturday, July 7, 2018.

Residential buildings are partially submerged in floodwaters caused by heavy rains in Kurashiki, Okayama prefecture, southwestern Japan, Saturday, July 7, 2018.

Suga warned that although the rain warnings had been lifted, residents should still watch for landslides. Those participating in cleanup efforts should be careful to avoid heat-related issues, because the next few days are expected to be hot and clear.

Prime Minister Abe announced on Monday that he has canceled a planned trip to Belgium, France, Saudi Arabia and Egypt to concentrate on the disaster relief effort.

About 73,000 personnel have been mobilized for search-and-rescue efforts.

source: cnn

Korban Tewas Akibat Banjir di Jepang Nyaris 100 Orang, 58 Hilang

Warga Jepang melewati jalanan yang masih digenangi banjir (AFP PHOTO/JIJI PRESS - via detik.com)

Tokyo – Korban tewas akibat banjir dahsyat di Jepang nyaris mencapai 100 orang. Sekitar 58 orang lainnya dilaporkan masih hilang. Petugas penyelamat berjuang menggali timbunan lumpur dan puing-puing untuk mencari korban selamat.

Seperti dilansir Reuters, Senin (9/7/2018), banjir ini dipicu hujan lebat yang mengguyur wilayah Jepang bagian barat sejak pekan lalu. Selain banjir, hujan lebat juga memicu tanah longsor di sejumlah area.

Awal pekan ini, langit cerah dan matahari yang mulai muncul diperkirakan akan memicu suhu udara di atas 30 derajat Celsius. Kondisi ini dikhawatirkan berujung pada gelombang panas di sejumlah area yang akses terhadap listrik dan air terputus akibat banjir.

“Kami tidak bisa mandi, toilet tidak berfungsi dan persediaan makanan semakin menipis,” tutur Yumeko Matsui yang rumahnya di Mihara tidak mendapat suplai air sejak Sabtu (7/7) lalu. “Air dalam kemasan dan teh dalam botol telah ludes di toko-toko kelontong dan toko lainnya,” imbuhnya.

Dilaporkan perusahaan listrik setempat, sekitar 12.700 pelanggan belum juga mendapat aliran listrik hingga Senin (9/7) ini. Sedangkan puluhan ribu orang lainnya tidak mendapat suplai air bersih.

Televisi nasional Jepang, NHK, melaporkan bahwa korban tewas akibat hujan lebat dan banjir dahsyat di Jepang sejauh ini mencapai 94 orang. Sedangkan sekitar 58 orang lainnya dilaporkan hilang. Banjir ini memaksa jutaan orang mengungsi dari rumah masing-masing.

Jumlah korban tewas itu tercatat sebagai yang tertinggi setelah 98 orang tewas akibat badai di Jepang tahun 2004 lalu.

Hingga Senin (9/7) ini, banjir mulai surut meskipun genangan air masih memenuhi wilayah Kurashiki, Okayama, yang terdampak banjir paling parah. Ribuan orang memenuhi kamp pengungsian di Mabi, salah satu distrik di Kurashiki, Okayama.

“Orang-orang tidak punya apapun untuk dipakai. Kita butuh kaos, celana, pakaian dalam, kaos kaki dan bahkan sepatu,” tutur Wali Kota setempat, Kaori Ito, kepada surat kabar Asahi Shimbun.

Kantor Perdana Menteri Jepang telah mendirikan pusat penanggulangan darurat, dengan sekitar 54 ribu petugas penyelamat yang terdiri atas personel militer, kepolisian dan petugas pemadam kebakaran, dikerahkan ke berbagai wilayah yang dilanda banjir dan longsor.

Otoritas Jepang selalu memantau cuaca dan merilis peringatan dini, namun populasi padat di berbagai wilayah termasuk area pegunungan membuat warga Jepang selalu rawan terkena bencana alam.

sumber: detik.com

Gunung Agung Kembali Erupsi, Bandara Ngurah Rai Beroperasi Normal

Foto: Erupsi Gunung Agung pagi ini (dok PVMBG KESDM/Sutopo PN)

Denpasar – Gunung Agung, Bali, kembali erupsi. Meski demikian, Bandara Internasional I Gusti Ngurah Rai beroperasi normal.

Informasi itu disampaikan Kepala Pusat Data, Informasi dan Humas Badan Nasional Penanggulangan Bencana (BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho saat dikonfirmasi, Senin (9/7/2018).

Sutopo menjelaskan, erupsi Gunung Agung terjadi pukul 11.20 Wita. Tinggi kolom abu teramati kurang lebih 2.000 meter di atas puncak.

Kolom abu teramati berwarna kelabu dengan intensitas tebal condong ke arah barat. Erupsi terekam di seismogram dengan amplitudo maksimum 24 mm dan durasi kurang lebih 2 menit 42 detik.

“Bandara Ngurah Rai beroperasi normal. Bali aman,” kata Sutopo.

Sementara itu, tercatat masih ada ribuan warga Bali yang mengungsi. Data pukul 07.00 Wita, jumlah pengungsi mencapai 4.415 jiwa yang tersebar di 54 titik pengungsian.

sumber: detik.com

Bali volcano erupts again, spewing lava and shooting ash

https://pbs.twimg.com/media/DhHCeAoUwAMzYV2.jpg

THE Mount Agung volcano on the Indonesian tourist island of Bali erupted on Monday evening, ejecting a 2000-metre-high column of thick ash and hurling lava down its slopes.

The Indonesian geological agency’s Agung monitoring post said a loud explosion from the mountain began just after 9pm and lasted more than 7 minutes.

“Flares of incandescent lava” reached 2 kilometres from the crater, it said.

It said the alert level for Agung has not been raised and the exclusion zone around the crater remains at 4 kilometres.

Last week, Bali’s international airport closed for half a day due to volcanic ash from Agung, disrupting travel for tens of thousands.

Monday’s eruption was “strombolian,” the geological agency said, which is the mildest type of explosive volcanic eruption. It warned people living near rivers to exercise caution, particularly in wet weather, because of the risk of fast- moving flows of muddy volcanic debris.

The volcano, about 70 kilometres northeast of Bali’s tourist hotspot of Kuta, last had a major eruption in 1963, killing about 1100 people.

It had a dramatic increase in activity last year, forcing the evacuation of tens of thousands of people, but had quietened by early this year. Authorities lowered its alert status from the highest level in February.

Indonesia, an archipelago of more than 250 million people, sits on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” and is prone to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. Government seismologists monitor more than 120 active volcanoes.

Dini Hari, Gunung Agung Erupsi Lagi

Dini Hari, Gunung Agung Erupsi Lagi

Jakarta – Gunung Agung kembali erupsi dini hari ini setelah tadi malam sekitar pukul 21.04 Wita memuntahkan material lava pijar. Status Level III (Siaga) masih dipertahankan.

Sebagaimana keterangan pers Badan Geologi Pusat Vulkanologi dan Mitigasi Bencana Geologi (PVMBG) Kementerian ESDM, Selasa (3/7/2018), erupsi termutakhir ini terjadi pukul 04.13 Wita.

“Kolom abu teramati berwarna putih hingga kelabu dengan intensitas tebal condong ke arah barat. Erupsi ini terekam di seismogram dengan amplitudo maksimum 21 mm dan durasi ± 7 menit,” demikian kata PVMBG. Bila dibandingkan dengan malam tadi, amplitudo maksimum kali ini lebih kecil. Amplitudo letusan pukul 21.04 Wita tadi terekam sebesar 24 mm di seismogram.

Tinggi kolom abu teramati kurang lebih 2.000 m di atas puncak (kurang lebih 5.142 m di atas permukaan laut). PVMBG mengeluarkan rekomendasi untuk masyarakat.

“Masyarakat di sekitar G. Agung dan pendaki/pengunjung/wisatawan agar tidak berada, tidak melakukan pendakian dan tidak melakukan aktivitas apapun di Zona Perkiraan Bahaya yaitu di seluruh area di dalam radius 4 km dari Kawah Puncak G. Agung. Zona Perkiraan Bahaya sifatnya dinamis dan terus dievaluasi dan dapat diubah sewaktu-waktu mengikuti perkembangan data pengamatan G. Agung yang paling aktual/terbaru,” demikian rekomendasi PVMBG.

(dnu/dnu)