Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) has distributed about 25 thousand masks to residents in Tanah Karo district, North Sumatra, following the recent eruption of Mount Sinabung.

"We distributed the masks in road intersections," Head of the PMI`s Disaster Mitigation Division Sumarsono said here on Sunday.

In addition, the PMI also had distributed sanitation and family kits consisting of soap, toothpaste, buckets, sarongs and blankets to the evacuees, he said.

"Nearly 8 thousand to 10 thousand kits have been distributed," he said.

The PMI also made available two clinic cars equipped with two doctors and four nurses to provide medical treatment to the evacuees around the clock, he said.

Most of the evacuees in Karo district were in good health, he said.

The 2,640-meter-high Mount Sinabung erupted for the first time in 400 years on Aug 29, causing over 25,000 residents to flee their homes to safer places.

It erupted for the second time the following day, spewing thick volcanic ash, and cloud, and causing a three-minute long earthquake.

Some of the evacuees had earlier returned home but were again evacuated on Friday morning when the volcano showed increased activities, just an hour before it erupted for the third time.

Mount Sinabung is the highest mountain in North Sumatra and is located 110 km west of the provincial capital Medan.
(Uu.E014/S012/F001/P003)

Editor: Priyambodo RH

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