JAKARTA, Sept 10 - Indonesian authorities are strengthening tsunami preparedness along the coast of Lampung province facing Mount Anak Krakatau in the Sunda Strait as the volcano remains at the second-highest alert level.
National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) Disaster Data, Information and Communication Centre acting head Berton Panjaitan said the measures included preparations for a tsunami contingency plan in South Lampung, on Sumatra's side of the Sunda Strait, which separates Sumatra from Java.
“Lampung's provincial government has instructed disaster management agencies across the province to ensure evacuation routes are ready and tsunami early-warning sirens are functioning properly,” he said in a statement on Thursday.
From evacuation routes and assembly points to early-warning sirens, BNPB teams had been checking tsunami preparedness in coastal communities across South Lampung while maintaining coordination with the Anak Krakatau observation post, Berton said.
In a separate update at an online press conference on Thursday, Berton said satellite imagery showed volcanic ash dispersal from Anak Krakatau was no longer detected as of 1 pm local time.
The volcano remains at Level III, the second-highest level in Indonesia's four-tier alert system, with authorities maintaining a three-kilometre exclusion zone around its active crater.
Meanwhile, Health Ministry spokesperson Widyawati said 68,919 cumulative cases of acute respiratory infections had been recorded across 23 regencies and cities in Lampung, Banten, Jakarta and West Java affected by volcanic ash from Anak Krakatau.
Of the total, 14,439 cases involved children aged five and below, while 54,480 involved those above five, with 830 community health centres and 413 hospitals placed on standby in the affected areas.
She said health supplies, including masks, protective goggles, eye drops, inhalers and medicines, had been distributed, while residents were advised to wear masks and avoid unnecessary outdoor activities.
