Indonesia to launch reconstruction effort following Mount Lewotobi eruptions

JAKARTA, Nov. 13 (Xinhua) — The Indonesian government will carry out a reconstruction and rehabilitation program in the areas devastated by the eruptions of Mount Lewotobi in East Nusa Tenggara province, a minister announced on Wednesday.
More than 2,000 houses, buildings, and other infrastructure have been destroyed since the initial eruption of Mount Lewotobi on Nov. 4, which left 10 people dead, 63 injured, and displaced about 4,000 residents.
“We are committed to assuring the disaster-affected communities that we will carry out a thorough reconstruction and rehabilitation program,” said Coordinating Minister for Infrastructure and Regional Development Agus Harimurti Yudhoyono.
“We must ensure that those who have lost their homes or other belongings receive solutions — whether rebuilding, reconstruction, or alternative schemes,” Yudhoyono told reporters at the Jakarta Convention Center.
To prepare for the plan’s implementation, Yudhoyono said he had coordinated with Minister of Housing and Settlement Maruarar Sirait.
“Minister Sirait will visit the eruption-affected areas today or tomorrow to directly assess the extent of the destruction before we take strategic steps,” Yudhoyono said.
As of Wednesday, Mount Lewotobi continued to erupt, and more than 13,000 residents have taken shelter as the danger zone has been extended to 9 km.
The local disaster management and mitigation agency has established at least three evacuation centers equipped with health facilities, logistics, and essential supplies for the evacuees, according to Richard Felt, a senior official at the agency.
Mount Lewotobi, standing at 1,584 meters, is one of Indonesia’s 127 active volcanoes. ■