Five volcanoes erupting sporadically in Indonesia since Jan 2021 by Fardah

Jakarta, Feb 15, 2021 (ANTARA) - Indonesia has the largest number and highest density of active volcanoes worldwide, as the country lies in the Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped region of convergent tectonic plates and several volcanoes.

There are 147 volcanoes in Indonesia, of which 130 are active, spread along the islands of Sumatra, Sulawesi, Java, Bali, Nusa Tenggara, and Maluku.

The archipelagic country has a population of some 271 million and some 17 thousand islands located between the Pacific and Indian Ocean.

On account of the large number of active volcanoes in the country, experts affirm that over 197 million Indonesians are living within 100 kilometers of a volcano, with nine million of them being within just 10 kilometers.

The most destructive explosion on earth in the past 10 thousand years was the eruption of Mount Tambora, standing 4,300 meters tall and located on Sumbawa Island, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), on April 10, 1815. The ground shook, sending tsunamis racing across the Java Sea. An estimated 10 thousand of the island’s inhabitants died instantly, according to the Smithsonian magazine.

The eruption of Tambora was ten times more powerful than that of the two thousand-meter tall Krakatau. However, Krakatau is more widely known, partly because it had erupted in 1883, after the invention of the telegraph, which spread the news quickly, Smithsonian wrote.

Since January 2021, at least five volcanoes have erupted sporadically in Indonesia: Mount Sinabung in Karo District, North Sumatra Province; Mount Raung in East Java Province; Mount Merapi located between Central Java and Yogyakarta; Mount Semeru in East Java; and Mount Ili Lewotolok in East Nusa Tenggara.

Mount Sinabung, which had erupted sporadically since 2010 after being inactive for some 400 years, erupted again, spouting hot cloud and incandescent lava as far as two kilometers away on February 12, 2021.

Indonesia enters 2021 with "abnormal" natural disasters by Fardah

  As a country located in the Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is prone to natural disasters such as volcano eruption, earthquake, and tsunami, and hence its residents must be prepared for that.

Moreover, the world’s largest archipelagic country is strategically located between the Indian Ocean and the Pacific Ocean, that could induce extreme wet (La Nina) or dry seasons (El Nino) weather and ocean-related phenomena that could trigger flooding, drought and forest fires.

One of the worst disasters hitting Indonesia in modern history was the deadly tsunami which devastated Aceh Province and Nias Island (North Sumatra Province) on December 26, 2004, which killed around 200,000 people and rendered about one million others homeless. The tsunami was triggered by a powerful 8.9-magnitude earthquake.

In addition, since March 2020, Indonesia has been affected by the COVID-19 pandemic that has infected a total of 1,134,854 people and claimed 31,202 lives as of February 6, 2021. World-widely, nearly 106 million people have been infected by, and over 2.3 million others succumbed to the pandemic, which had never been predicted.

While entering 2021, Indonesia has to face other natural disasters besides the COVID-19 pandemic.

The country had been stricken by a total of 197 natural disasters during the January 1-23 period, according to data of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

Most of those disasters were hydrometeorological disasters comprising 134 floods, 31 landslides, and 24 whirlwinds, that had claimed 184 lives, injured, 2,700 people, rendered nine people missing, and affected or displaced 1.9 million others.

Compared to January 2020, during the same period, BNPB recorded 297 disasters affecting across Indonesia, particularly massive flooding in Jakarta and surrounding areas, and claiming 91 lives.

The Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) has warned of likely hydrometeorological disasters such as floods, landslides and whirlwind, occurring simultaneously in several regions during the peak of the ongoing rainy season, which usually begins in September or October and ends in March or April.

"Since October 2020, the BMKG has issued early warnings of potential extreme weather-related conditions due to various phenomena that are feared to coincide with the rainy season," BMKG Head Dwikorita Karnawati said recently.

FURIOUS ANAK KRAKATAU SCARES COASTAL POPULATION by Fardah

Jakarta, Jan 9, 2019 (Antara)- Rini Hartati and Yeni, inhabitants of South Lampung, used to enjoy the beauty of Mount Anak Krakatau, especially its red magma, which looked like firecrackers in the evening, from their homes located in the coastal area facing Sunda Strait, where the 'child' of the legendary Mount Krakatoa stands.

         Anak Krakatau has been undergoing a stuttering eruption since June 18, 2018, and an alert level 2 had been declared for it.

        As its volcanic activities increased, the volcano often showed spectacular views, particularly at night. Villagers living along beaches in Sunda Strait located between Sumatra and Java Island said they were very amazed of the view and they enjoyed watching it as it had never happened before. 
   But the volcanic activities of Anak Krakatau did not get special attention from the authorities until Dec 22, 2018, when a volcanic tsunami hit the provinces of Lampung (Sumatra) and Banten (Java) without early warning.   
     Mount Anak Krakatau¿s southern flank, measuring 64 hectares, slid into the ocean that evening, according to images from the European Space Agency's Sentinel-1 satellite, reported by www.nationalgeographic.com.

         Some 20 minutes after the flank collapsed, a wall of water roared ashore, sweeping up everything in its path, including boats, tables, and people along the coastal regions of Sunda Strait.

         Mount Anak Krakatau's height has decreased from 338 meters above sea level (mdpl) to 110 mdpl following the flank collapse. Full recovery will take longer. It may take 50 years before Anak Krakatau can reach its pre-collapse height.

        The tsunami affected five districts, namely Pandeglang and Serang in Banten Province; and South Lampung, Tanggamus, and Pesawaran in Lampung Province. 
   The death toll reached 437 people, and 23 others remained missing due to the tsunami. As many as 14,059 people were injured, and 33,721 others were displaced.

MT SINABUNG'S HUGE ASH PLUME TRIGGERS PANIC AMONG KARO LOCALS by Fardah

Jakarta, Feb 21, 2018 (Antara) - Several elementary schools were closed, with students and others fleeing in fear of a huge ash plume engulfing the summit of Mount Sinabung that had erupted quite powerfully on February 19, 2018.

         The towering plume of ash turned the morning light into dark in five sub-districts, with a visibility level of some five meters only. No one was injured in the eruption, which was accompanied by multiple earthquakes.

         Several nearby villages experienced a shower of small rocks, while hot clouds, with temperatures ranging between 600 and 800 degrees Celsius, went down the slope at a distance of 4.9 kilometers.

         According to the Geological Disaster Mitigation and Volcanology Center, the latest eruption was the strongest to have occurred this year. 
   The volcanic ash affected regions around Mount Sinabung, including Simpang Empat Sub-district, Naman Teran, Payung, Tiga Nderket, and Munthe.

        The eruption sent an ash cloud more than five thousand meters (16 thousand feet) into the air, triggering panic among local inhabitants and tourists in the affected villages.

         No one was killed following the eruption of Mount Sinabung located in Karo District, North Sumatra Province, at 8:53 a.m. local time on Monday (Feb 19), Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), noted in a statement.

         "People in the danger or red zones have all been evacuated to avoid the worst-case scenario," he remarked.

BALI RETURNS TO NORMAL FOLLOWING MOUNT AGUNG ERUPTION by Fardah

Jakarta, Dec 23, 2017 (Antara) - Bali Island has returned to normal after the eruption of Mount Agung, which affected the tourism industry in the one of the world's most famous tourist resorts.

         Before the volcano eruption, Bali received some 15 thousand foreign tourists daily, and during the natural disaster, it dropped to 2 thousand foreign tourist arrivals. Currently, it has increased to 12,300 foreign tourists, or around 80 percent of the normal number.

         The Indonesian Government will carry out a major international tourism promotion to assure the world on the safety for tourist visiting Bali.

         Tourism Minister Arief Yahya stated that the government has given Rp100 billion to the Governor of Bali Province for the promotion.

         Besides, the Tourism Ministry and the Transportation Ministry have discussed plans to improve transportation services for tourists.

         President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) and Vice President M Jusuf Kalla on Dec 22 chaired a limited cabinet meeting in Bali to assure the world on the safety of Bali and its readiness to receive as many tourists as possible.

         Following the meeting, the government also declared that it had revoked an emergency status of Mount Agung, which is now quite calm.

         The government opined that the emergency status had scared many foreign countries, prompting them to issue a travel warning, travel advisory, or even travel ban, which are unnecessary because most parts of Bali remain safe and unaffected by the eruptions.

- MT AGUNG'S ERUPTIONS LEAD TO TEMPORARY CLOSURE OF BALI AIRPORT by Fardah

  Jakarta, Nov 27 , 2017 (Antara) - After rumbling since August 2017, the 3,142-meter-high Mount Agung has finally erupted, forcing a temporary closure of the I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport located on the world's most famous resort island of Bali.

         The Indonesian Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has raised the alert level of Mount Agung from three to four, indicating eruption hazards on and near the volcano.

         The alert level was raised, as the eruptions of Mount Agung have shifted from phreatic to magmatic since a red glow was visible from the peak of Mount Agung on Nov 26 at 9 p.m. local time, according to I Gede Suantika, the mitigation head of PVMBG.

         The magmatic eruptions produced thick ash rising to heights of between two thousand and 3,400 meters from the volcano's peak.

         Suantika has forecast that larger explosions might occur as is indicated by the continuous ash puffs that are sometimes accompanied by explosive eruptions along with a weak sound of boom audible in the radius of up to 12 kilometers from the mountain's peak.

         The danger zone has been expanded from six kilometers to eight kilometers from the volcano's peak.

         People living within a 10-kilometer radius towards the north, northeast, southeast, south, and southwest of the mount have been advised to evacuate.

         Villages located within the danger zone are Ban, Dukuh, Baturinggit, Sukadana, Kubu, Tulamben, Datah, Nawakerti, Pitpit, Bhuana Giri, Bebandem, Jungutan, North Duda, Amerta Bhuana, Sebudi, Besakih, and Pempatan.

         The danger zone can be changed at any time based on the condition of the volcano.

         No casualties have been reported so far, and 40 thousand people have left the area, though tens of thousands still need to move, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.    
   Volcanic ash dispersed into the air over the airport after the second eruption forced its closure for 24 hours from 7 a.m. local time on Nov 27.

MOUNT AGUNG STILL ACTIVE, BUT LESS THREATENING by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 6, 2017 (Antara) - Thousands of Balinese evacuees returned home after living more than a month in evacuation centers on the Island, following the decision of the Indonesian authorities to lower the alert status of Mount Agung from Level 4 (dangerous) to Level 3 (high alert) on Oct 29, 2017.   
     "According to the images observed by the drone, the magma activity has dropped for the last nine days, and the volume of ashes ejected from the crater has decreased," Kasbani, head of the Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG), said in Karangasem District, recently.    
     Located in Karangasem, Bali Island, the 3,142-meter-high Mount Agung has been rumbling since August, but the volcano has not yet erupted.

        In the last two months, the officials had recorded the activity of the volcano to be high. "(However), for the last three days, the tremors were stable from 100 to 200 shocks per day," he remarked. 
   Apart from the tremors, the GPS-based observer and tiltmeter have pictured that the deformations at the crater were slowing down.   
   "There is no pressure (in dropping the volcano's alert status). Our decision is based on some observations on the crater's deformation and other indicators," he explained.

        Since PVMBG declared the highest alert level of Mount Agung, about 144,389 people living in the affected zones in Karangasem, had been evacuated to several regions, including the neighboring districts of Klungkung, Buleleng, Bangli, Gianyar, and Denpasar.  

ALL REFUGEES DISPLACED BY MOUNT SINABUNG ERUPTION TO BE RELOCATED BY 2018 by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 19, 2017 (Antara) - Some 2,117 families, being displaced by the eruption of Mount Sinabung in North Sumatra Province since 2010, are still waiting to be relocated to permanent resettlement areas. 
    Normal life of these people has been thrown out of gear. They could neither make a normal living nor could their children attend schools since their villages had been destroyed by the volcanic eruptions that has been going on and off.
       Having been inactive for four centuries, Mount Sinabung has been coming back to life since 2010 and has been erupting sporadically. 
   Inhabitants of 10 villages located within a radius of three to five kilometers from the mountain top are waiting to be relocated to new settlement areas in three stages. 
   More than 30 thousand people across 34 villages were displaced from September 2013 to February 2014 as a result of the eruptions of the 2,600-meter-high mountain.
         President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had signed a Presidential Decree No. 21 of 2015 on a task force for accelerating the relocation of victims affected by the eruptions. 
    In the first stage of the relocation program, 370 families, comprising of 1,212 people, were relocated to Siosar village, Merek sub-district, Karo District, in 2015.
         They had previously lived in three villages, namely Sukameriah, Bekerah, and Simacem, which are located on the slope of Mount Sinabung.
         Jokowi visited the natural disaster's victims in Siosar for the second time on Oct 14, 2017, after his first visit two years ago.
       He had held dialogs with several villagers and asked them whether they had planted and harvested crops, and they responded that indeed they had planted potatoes.

DO NOT HESITATE TO VISIT BALI, IT IS SAFE by Fardah

Jakarta, Oct 6, 2017 (Antara) - Despite Mount Agung being active, it has not yet erupted, but news reports on it have deterred several foreign tourists.

           Tourism industry is the backbone of Bali's economy. Bali has set a target to attract 5.5 million foreign tourists this year.

           The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali from January to August 2017 had reached 3.99 million, an increase of 25 percent as compared to that recorded during the same period last year.

           However, lately, hotels in Bali have reported several cancellations of room reservations due to the increased volcanic activity of Mount Agung.

           In response to news reports, Bali Governor Made Mangku Pastika has convinced tourists to visit the resort island without hesitation, adding that it remains safe and conducive despite the increased activity of Mount Agung, which is located in Karangasem District, Bali Island.

          The governor made assurance during a meeting with tourism stakeholders, such as travel operators, in Denpasar, Bali, on Oct 3.

          If Mount Agung erupts, it will have a direct impact on only 28 villages located within a radius of 12 kilometers from the volcano's crater.

          Bali's main tourist attractions, such as Nusa Dua, Kuta, and Sanur, are situated tens of kilometers from the location of the mount, he added.

          He said Karangasem has 78 villages, of which only 28 villages could be directly affected. The remaining 50 villages and other tourist destinations in Bali will remain safe.

               "Therefore, do not hesitate to visit Bali, except for climbing the mount, which will be forbidden as it is dangerous," Pastika explained.

            Besides, the current condition is different from how it erupted in 1963.

PUBLIC SAFETY PRIORITIZED AMID MT AGUNG'S INCREASED VOLCANIC ACTIVITY by Fardah

 Jakarta, Sept 28, 2017 (Antara) - Mount Agung has been rumbling since August, with an increase in the magnitude of tremors, though the volcano has not erupted so far.

        The volcano is located on the resort island of Bali, but it is quite far from the island's main tourist destinations, such as Kuta Beach, which is some 75 kilometers away.

        Several key Balinese destinations, such as Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Lake Beratan Bedugul, Tampak Siring Palace, Bali Safari and Marine Park, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Sanur and Kuta beaches, Tanjung Benoa, Goa Gajah, and Nusa Penida, are quite far from the volcano and not affected by the increase in volcanic activity at Mount Agung.   
   Bali has set a target to attract 5.5 million foreign tourists this year.

        The number of foreign tourist arrivals in Bali from January to August 2017 had reached 3.99 million, an increase of 25 percent as compared to that recorded during the same period last year.

        According to data of the Bali statistics office, the resort island had received 4.92 million foreign tourists in 2016, an increase of 23.14 percent as compared to 4.001 million in 2015.

        In the wake of Mount Agung showing signs of increased volcanic activity, the Indonesian authorities have ensured that Bali remains safe for tourists, and its Ngurah Rai International Airport remains open and functions normally.

        Several ministers had visited Bali to monitor the disaster mitigation handling activities and to coordinate measures and preparations to be better prepared to face the worst in case the mountain erupts.

        On Sept 26, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) had visited the Mt Agung refugees in Klungkung District, Bali, and urged them to abide by the instructions given by the officers following an increase in the mount's volcanic activities.

MT AGUNG'S ACTIVITY ON RISE, BUT BALI REMAINS SAFE by Fardah

Jakarta, Sept 23, 2017 (Antara) - The alert status for Mount Agung was raised to Watch, or Level IV, on Sept 22 following increased seismic activity, though authorities ensure that Bali remains safe for tourists, particularly locations far from the volcano.

          Indonesia's Volcanology and Geological Disaster Mitigation Center (PVMBG) has appealed to tourists and residents to avoid any activity near the crater of Mount Agung and all northward, northeastward, southeastward, and south-southwestward areas within a 12-kilometer radius of its peak, increasing the area from six kilometers announced earlier.

          "All people in the areas must be evacuated starting from 8:30 p.m. local time today (Sept. 23). No tourist or public activity is allowed there," Kasbani of the PVMBG emphasized.

          However, despite increased volcanic activity at the 3,142-meter-high Mount Agung, Bali remains safe for tourists, according to Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, spokesman of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).

          "Until now, Bali is still safe for tourist visits, except the area within the radius around Mt Agung where any activity has been banned by the Center for Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation (PVMBG)," he informed the press on Sept 23.

          Several key Balinese destinations, such as Tanah Lot, Uluwatu, Lake Beratan Bedugul, Tampak Siring Palace, Bali Safari and Marine Park, Garuda Wisnu Kencana, Sanur and Kuta beaches, Tanjung Benoa, Goa Gajah, and Nusa Penida, are safe and not affected by the increased volcanic activity at Mount Agung.

          "Tourist destinations in Bali are still safe. Please visit and enjoy the natural scenery, culture, culinary, and other attractions of Bali Island. The government will surely issue an early warning and information accurately if the volcano endangers the safety of the public," he said.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION AFFECTS TOURISM IN BALI, WEST NUSA TENGGARA by Fardah

 Jakarta, Nov 11, 2015 (Antara)- Indonesia's tourism sector has again been affected by a natural disaster as its two most famous tourist destinations --- Bali Island and Lombok --- are incurring losses due to the eruption of Mount Barujari.

        Mount Barujari, a cone inside Mount Rinjani's large volcanic caldera located in Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), has erupted since Nov. 3, leading to the closure of several airports in neighboring provinces.

        The volcanic ash had forced the authorities to shut down the Ngurah Rai International Airport in Denpasar, Bali; the Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi, East Java Province; the Selaparang Airport in Mataram; and the Lombok International Airport in Lombok, NTB. 
   The data from the Transportation Ministry revealed that at least 1,180 flights had been cancelled due to the volcanic ash until Nov. 7.

VOLCANIC ERUPTION FORCES CLOSURE OF AIRPORTS IN BALI, OTHER AREAS by Fardah

Jakarta, Nov 5, 2015 (Antara)- Bali's Ngurah Rai International Airport, Lombok's Selaparang Airport in West Nusa Tenggara, and Banyuwangi's Blimbingsari Airport in East Java, among others, have been closed due to Mount Barujari's eruption in Lombok since Tuesday (November 3).         This is the second blow to Bali's tourism industry this year after the eruption of Mount Raung located in East Java, which had also forced the temporary closure of the Ngurah Rai airport in July.

MOUNT SINABUNG REFUGEES EXPECTED TO START NEW LIFE BEFORE ENTERING 2016 By Fardah

   Jakarta, Sept 22, 2015 (Antara) - Thousands of people in North Sumatra Province were displaced and have been forced to live in refugee camps for almost five years now due to the prolonged eruption of Mount Sinabung located in Karo District.

         Normal life of these people has been thrown out of gear. They could not make a living normally, nor could their children go to their usual schools since their villages have been destroyed by the volcanic eruption that has been going on and off since 2010. 
    The number of evacuees has reached 2,572 people, who are currently being accommodated in nine evacuation centers.

         In response to the refugees' complaints about their ordeals and the fact that they are being forced to stay in temporary shelters or emergency camps, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) has instructed that efforts to provide permanent houses for the victims of the Mount Sinabung volcanic eruption be completed before the end of 2015.

MT RAUNG ERUPTION PARALYZES BALI AIRPORT by Fardah

     Jakarta, July 10, 2015 (Antara) - The eruption of Mount Raung has forced temporary closure of I Gusti Ngurah Rai International Airport in Bali, since July 9, with the ash cloud drifting towards one of the world's most famous tourist islands.

     Besides Ngurah Rai Airport, four other Indonesian airports, mainly Lombok International Airport, and Selaparang Airport in West Nusa Tenggara Province, Blimbingsari Airport in Banyuwangi, East Java Province, and Notohadinegoro Airport in Jember, East Java, were also shut down temporarily due to the eruption of the volcano located on the borders of Banyuwangi, Bondowoso and Jember Districts, East Java Province.

     Directorate General of Air Transportation of the Indonesian Ministry of Transportation has issued a notice to airmen (Notam) regarding the closing of the five airports in anticipation of the hazard from the Mount Raung volcanic ash.

     But Bali, which is packed with tourists spending their summer holidays, is the worst affected by the natural disaster.

GOVT SEEKS PERMANENT SOLUTION FOR MOUNT SINABUNG REFUGEE CRISIS By Fardah

  Jakarta, July 3, 2015 (Antara) -- Located in Karo district in North Sumatra province, Mount Sinabung had been inactive for 400 years, but since coming back to life in 2010, it has erupted sporadically.

        Thousands of villagers have been displaced following Mount Sinabung's eruption in August 2010, in September and November 2013, in January, February and October 2014, and as recently as in June 2015.

         More than 30,000 people across 34 villages were displaced from September 2013 to February 2014, as a result of the eruptions of the 2,600-meter-high mount.

EAST JAVA AUTHORITIES BRACE FOR MOUNT KELUD'S RAIN-TRIGGERED LAHARS by Fardah

    Jakarta, Feb 19, 2014 (Antara) - After an explosive eruption of Mount Kelud on February 13, 2014, the Kediri authorities and people are now bracing for rain-triggered lahars streaming from the 1,731-meter volcano.

        Mount Kelud, which is located in the border of Blitar and Kediri districts, East Java Province, spewed gravel and ash to the air at a height of 17 km, which later landed in a number of places, up to West Nusa Tenggara and West Java provinces, which are hundreds of kilometers away.

MOUNT KELUD ERUPTS, FORCING SCHOOL, AIRPORT CLOSURES by Fardah

     Jakarta, Feb 14 , 2014 (Antara) - The eruption of Mt Kelud on Thursday (Feb. 13), forced around 200 thousand people to flee, forcing closures of airports and schools in several cities in Indonesia's most densely populated island of Java.

         The major explosive eruption of the 1,731-meter volcano could be heard in Solo (Central Java) and Yogyakarta, which lie around 200 km away.  Mount Kelud, located at the border of Blitar and Kediri districts, East Java Province, erupted at 10.50 pm local time. It spewed gravel and ash reaching up to West Nusa Tenggara and West Java provinces, which are hundreds of kilometers away.

SINABUNG'S DEADLY CLOUDS CLAIM 15 LIVES IN A SINGLE DAY by Fardah

   Jakarta, Feb 3, 2014 (Antara) - Over 30 thousand people across 34 villages have been displaced since last September 2013, as a result of the sporadic eruptions arising from the 2,600-m Mount Sinabung located in the Karo District, North Sumatra Province.

         Life has been far from normal for the people displaced by the eruptions of the volcano, which had been inactive for the past 400 years, prior to it rumbling back to life in 2010 and claiming the lives of two persons.

        For the past five months, the refugees have been forced to live in 42 modest, but crowded refugee camps with limited access to clean water and sanitation facilities.  They have lost their homes, belongings, crops, jobs, and schools. Many of the refugees are reportedly suffering from stress. Around 16 refugees died of old age or illness while staying at the camps.

REFUGEES OF MT SINABUNG SURVIVE FOUR-MONTH ORDEAL by Fardah

    Jakarta, Jan 20, 2014 (Antara) -   Though the floods in Indonesia took over media space over the past week, it certainly does not indicate that the refugees from the prolonged Mount Sinabung eruption are forgotten or being ignored.  
    President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and First Lady Ani Yudhoyono have announced their plan to visit North Sumatra on January 23, to visit the refugees of the volcano.

          "The President and I plan to visit the refugees on January 23," stated Ani Yudhoyono recently.