Ternate Declares Emergency Status Following Mt. Gamalama Eruption
22 December 2014 10:42 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - In a bid to minimize the impacts of the eruption of Mount Gamalama on Thursday, December 18, 2014, the Ternate city government has declared emergency status following the eruption of the mountain.
Ternate Mayor Arifin Djafar said that the emergency status was put in place for two weeks, starting from December 18, 2014 until January 1, 2015. The local government also called on the Ternate Disaster Mitigation Agency to stay alert for one month.
"We made this decision as an anticipative measure to reduce the risks of the eruption of Mount. Besides, it will be rainy days at the end of the year. And this is what we are concerned about," Arifin said to Tempo.
According to Arifin, data obtained from the observation post of Mount Gamalama showed that materials from the eruption were hazardous to the residents in the affected areas such as in the northern part of Ternate.
Therefore, he said that the Ternate city government has formed a task force to inform to the people in areas prone to the eruption matters related to the Gamalama eruption.
"We are hoping the there would not be fatalities in the eruption of Mount Gamalama. Therefore, the residents are expected to stay vigilant, “ Arifin said.
As previously reported, on Thursday, December 18, 2014 at 11:47 Eastern Indonesian Time, Mount Gamalama erupted and spewed out volcanic ashes.
At least three areas in Ternate city were covered in volcanic ashes. The eruption also forced the closure of Ternate’s Babullah airport.
BUDHY NURGIANTO
