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Jakarta Post

Volcano evacuees suffer respiratory illness

Hundreds of locals forced to evacuate because of the Mount Sinabung eruption in Karo regency, North Sumatra, have suffered respiratory problems and eye irritation from exposure to volcanic ash

The Jakarta Post
Medan
Wed, November 13, 2013

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Volcano evacuees suffer respiratory illness

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undreds of locals forced to evacuate because of theMount Sinabung eruption in Karo regency, North Sumatra, have sufferedrespiratory problems and eye irritation from exposure to volcanic ash.

A doctor at the Tiga Nderket shelter, Bertha Sembiring, said that the number of evacuees treated had increased from around 30 people per day to around 100 in the last two days. '€œSome of the patients are children, who are also suffering from diarrhea,'€ said Bertha on Tuesday.

Sejahtera Bangun, a resident of Payung district, which is located around 8 kilometers from the volcano, said that residents in his village had also suffered from respiratory illness. Payung residents weren'€™t forced to evacuate as the district lies outside of the danger zone.

'€œThe volcanic ash was carried to our village. The eruption scared us. We are worried pyroclastic flows may head to our village,'€ Sejahtera said.

On Tuesday, Mount Sinabung erupted again, spewing hot ash 800 meters to the east toward Gurukinayan village in Payung district. As of Tuesday afternoon, as many as 4,846 residents from five villages had been evacuated to safer grounds.

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