TEMPO.CO, Banten - The Pandeglang administration, Banten province, has evacuated people living in the coastal areas of Sunda Strait to higher places following the increased alert status of Mount Anak Krakatau.

“We have evacuated people to hills, mountain areas after meteorology agency BMKG raises the status of Mount Anak Krakatau,” said Pandeglang Regent Irna Narulita in her office, Friday, December 28.

Irna said several large tents and a public kitchen have been placed and medical teams had been deployed.

To date, Irna explained, her government had yet to calculate the number of evacuees as the people still visited and carried out activities in their houses. Meanwhile, the total number of evacuees in Pandeglang affected by the Sunda Strait tsunami reached 28,000.

Read: Mount Anak Krakatau Status Raised to Alert Level III

The government, Irna added, assured the supply of logistics and relief aid were sufficient. She explained since the increased status her government had continuously conducted patrols in the coast within a radius of one kilometer to ensure no people remained in the area.

An earlier report suggested that the Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) raised the status of Mount Anak Krakatau from Alert Level II to Alert Level III (siaga III) following the increased activities of the volcano.

TAUFIQ SIDDIQ