orried about the impact of the eruption of Mount Agung on Bali, residents of several affected areas in the province are fleeing to Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), via Padangbai Port in Karangasem regency.
“We will be staying with our family in Mataram as things are becoming worse here. Ash from the eruption has blanketed our village,” said Ni Nengah Sari, 38, a resident of Bebandem village in Karangasem, Bali, who arrived at Lembar Port in West Lombok.
Personnel at the Mount Agung evacuee post at Lembar Port confirmed that 16 other evacuees had registered their arrival at the post in Lombok on Wednesday.
Amran, the head of the emergency response unit Forum Tagana at the NTB Social Affairs Agency, said the post had been built by the Social Affairs Ministry and the agency to provide assistance to evacuees in Lombok.
Amran said the post provided fleeing residents with food, drinks and transportation.
It also hands out masks for ferry passengers at Port Lembar who are heading to Bali.
The Social Affairs Ministry said it had allocated 500,000 masks, 400,000 of which would be distributed on Bali and the remaining 100,000 were for NTB.
“We are distributing the masks among evacuees and citizens who are affected [by the eruption]. The distribution [of the masks] will be conducted through social affairs agencies,” said Margowiyono, the director of social protection at the Social Affairs Ministry, at a press conference on Wednesday. (cks/ebf)
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