REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, MOJOKERTO -- Indonesian Social Affairs Minister Khofifah Indar Parawansa has called on people living around Mount Agung in Bali Province to wear masks to protect themselves from volcanic ash dispersed following the eruption of the mount.

"I call on members of society, especially those residing in West Nusa Tenggara Province, to wear masks following the eruption of Mount Agung," she noted here on Sunday night.

Parawansa said her party had contacted and urged the head of the Social Affairs Office of West Nusa Tenggara Province to provide masks as needed for the local society and ensure that the people wear them.

She also requested that all necessary preparations be made with regard to the locations to serve as evacuation sites for the local community.

"Ensure that the evacuation sites are ready, so that the local people find it easier to reach them and do not face difficulties during the evacuation process," she said.

She noted that after the city hall office was prepared for evacuation, the local people were reluctant to enter the building until the local government placed a banner informing that the location was being used as a place for evacuees.

"I have coordinated with the Social Affairs Office of West Nusa Tenggara Province that the government offices can be used as temporary shelters for the evacuees. Banners will be placed in front of the buildings that evacuees can enter and use the buildings as temporary evacuation shelters," she remarked.

As a precautionary measure, she said the governor of West Nusa Tenggara could issue a decree on emergency disaster, as the governor of Bali has issued such a letter.

"I have held discussions on the decree with the local district heads whose territories are directly affected by the volcanic activities of Mount Agung in Bali Province," she said.

The 3,142-meter-high Mount Agung has been rumbling since August 2017.

The Energy and Mineral Resources Ministry's Volcanology and Geological Hazard Mitigation Center (PVMBG) reported that Mount Agung had erupted, releasing volcanic ash and smoke from the crater on Nov 21.

The eruption occurred at 5:05 p.m. local time, with grey smoke rising some 700 meters from the crater.

Following the eruption, the PVMBG has also called on all villagers in the disaster-prone areas, tourists, and other individuals to avoid any activities near the volcano and other regions within a six-kilometer radius of the crater as well as in the areas within 7.5 kilometers to the north, northeast, southeast, south, and southwest of Mount Agung.

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