Makassar, S Sulawesi (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has sent about 31 thousand masks to Southeast Minahasa district, North Sulawesi, to be distributed among residents living around Mt Soputan which erupted on Sunday morning.
PMI chief Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday the sending of masks was part of an anticipatory step to prevent local residents from suffering respiratory disorder due to volcanic ash.
"Besides masks we also have sent logistics as a preparatory step in case of eruption. We did like that when Mt Merapi in Yogyakarta erupted some time ago," he said.
Kalla said 16 thousand of the masks was sent on Monday and 15 thousand on Tuesday.
Local authorities on Sunday put Mt Soputan on the second highest alert status after it spewed ash and hot clouds earlier in the day.
"The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) and the local government keep monitoring the condition of Mt Soputan because it may show signs of increased activity," Head of the North Sulawesi Provincial Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Hoyke Makarawung said here on Sunday.
According to data from the volcano's monitoring post at Maliku village, Mt Soputan erupted at around 06.00 a.m. on Sunday, sending ash up to 5,000 meters into the sky.
He said the local authorities had ordered the people living on the volcano's slope to keep watch for the eruption and to stay away at least 6 km from the crater.
The 1,784-meter high volcano last erupted in June 2008.(S012/O001)
PMI chief Jusuf Kalla said on Tuesday the sending of masks was part of an anticipatory step to prevent local residents from suffering respiratory disorder due to volcanic ash.
"Besides masks we also have sent logistics as a preparatory step in case of eruption. We did like that when Mt Merapi in Yogyakarta erupted some time ago," he said.
Kalla said 16 thousand of the masks was sent on Monday and 15 thousand on Tuesday.
Local authorities on Sunday put Mt Soputan on the second highest alert status after it spewed ash and hot clouds earlier in the day.
"The Center for Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation (PVMBG) and the local government keep monitoring the condition of Mt Soputan because it may show signs of increased activity," Head of the North Sulawesi Provincial Natural Disaster Mitigation Board (BPBD) Hoyke Makarawung said here on Sunday.
According to data from the volcano's monitoring post at Maliku village, Mt Soputan erupted at around 06.00 a.m. on Sunday, sending ash up to 5,000 meters into the sky.
He said the local authorities had ordered the people living on the volcano's slope to keep watch for the eruption and to stay away at least 6 km from the crater.
The 1,784-meter high volcano last erupted in June 2008.(S012/O001)