Medan, N Sumatra (ANTARA News) - Over the past two days, 1,114 refugees of Mount Sinabung eruption had returned home, Spokesman of Tanah Karo district government, Jhonson Tarigan, said.

Those displaced people were allowed to return after Mount Sinabung`s status was lowered from alertness level three to watching since October 7, he said.

A total of 614 displace people left Jambur Dalihan Natolu shelter on Saturday to return to Bekerah and Simacem villages in Naman Teran sub-district, as well as Suka Meriah village in Payung sub-district, he told ANTARA on Saturday.

About 500 refugees, who were sheltered at a community center around Kabanjahe, the capital of Tanah Karo district, 67 km south of Medan, had earlier returned home on Friday, he said.

Those displaced people returned to their respective villages by buses that the local government provided, he said.

"As a result of their returns, there are no more refugees at Jambur Dalihan Natolu shelter," Tarigan said.

Since the first eruption of this volcanic mountain occurred last August, local residents who took refuge were sheltered in 11 community centers around Kabanjahe.

According to the Indonesian Red Cross (PMI)`s member of disaster mitigation task force volunteer Muhammad Irsal, about 12 thousand local residents around Mount Sinabung, which erupted last August, were evacuated to safer places.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was concerned with the fate of Mount Sinabung refugees.

On September 6, the Head of State visited Jambur Sempakata, a major holding area for Mt Sinabung eruption evacuees at that time.

The President and his entourage reached Jambur Sempakata after a two-hour car trip from Medan under gloomy skies, and after arrival, addressed two thousand evacuees under driving rain.

From Jambur Sempataka, the president and his entourage went to the official residence of the Karo district chief to inspect the main Mt Sinabung eruption disaster mitigation post and media center.

Mount Sinabung, the highest mountain in North Sumatra around 110 kilometers west of provincial capita Medan, first erupted on August 29, 2010 after laying dormant for 400 years, forcing villagers living on its slopes to flee.
(R013/A014)

Editor: Aditia Maruli

COPYRIGHT © 2010

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