Mt Lokon Refugees Return to Respective Homes

MANADO, KOMPAS.com - Some 5,437 evacuees of Mount Lokon began to return to their homes in five villages, Tomohon District, North Sulawesi Province, on Sunday.

"The evacuees have started to be sent home after lunch at around 11.30 am local time until in the afternoon to Kinilow, Kinilow I Wailan, Kakaskasen I and Kakaskasen villages, because the condition is considered safer," Tomohon Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) Secretary Leivi Golioth said here on Sunday.

Although they had been sent home, they were told to remain on alert because the status of Mount Lokon has not been lowered from the current fourth level or watchful, Golioth said. If the mountain erupted again, they must come back to their shelters immediately.

The local authorities, volunteers and PMI stay on alert in Tomohon for emergency response anytime. PMI personnel Hengky Riey said PMI would remain assisting local residents until next week to distribute relief aid.

"We also distribute baby milk, rice, plastic baskets, blankets, mats, sheets, and canned fish to the refugees," Riey said.

Mount Lokon had started to erupt on June 29, 2011, and spewed hot ash, forcing local people to move to other safer places. Most of the refugees are from Kinilow, Kiniow I, Kakaskasen, Wailan, and Kakaskasen I, and some from Kayawu in North Tomohon.