Precarious existence in shadow of Indonesian volcano

As Mount Sinabung spews hot ash onto the villages in its vicinity, authorities say more than 10,000 people have to forced out of their homes

An empty village is seen inside the danger zone on the slope of Mount Sinabung volcano at Beras Tepu Village in Karo Regency, in North Sumatra province,. More than 10,000 people from 12 villages, who are living around the slopes of Mount Sinabung, have left their homes and moved to refugee camps, local media said. Beawiharta/ReutersShow less

Berastagi, Indonesia // When Indonesian farmer Elfi Dalimunthe fled to safety last week as a volcano hurled hot ash and rocks across the sky, it marked the third time she was forced to abandon her home in recent years.

“I heard a loud booming sound and saw thick ash spewing out,” the 30-year-old said, recalling the terrifying eruptions which prompted her family to flee to a temporary shelter.

They are among more than 10,000 people evacuated from their homes this month after an increase in the activity of Mount Sinabung, on Sumatra island, highlighting the precarious existence for many in the country with the largest number of volcanoes in the world.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire, a belt of seismic activity running around the basin of the Pacific Ocean, and has around 130 active volcanoes.

But millions of poor Indonesians live on or near the slopes of the steaming mountains, where the volcanic soil makes for extremely fertile farmland, and many insist on returning to their villages even after major eruptions.

Ms Dalimunthe fled her small village, just kilometres from Sinabung, for the first time in 2010 for a few weeks due to an eruption and was forced from her home again in September 2013 for more than a year.

Last year while she was living in a shelter, her wooden house was crushed by falling ash during a deadly eruption.

Despite the disaster, the vegetable farmer returned to the village with her husband and three children and established a new home.

And even after last week’s eruption, she insists she will return to her village because her children are at schools in the area.

“I will move when the children are older,” she said, sitting on a thin mat in a cramped hall holding about 500 people in the town of Berastagi, where many are sheltering.

Many do not want to evacuate at all when volcanoes erupt violently, with officials facing resistance from villagers who are attached to their houses and farms, and in many cases have little education.

And some who are persuaded to leave insist on returning to their homes under the rumbling volcano during the daytime to tend to the crops of chilli, tomato and potato that grow in the area.

Vegetable seller Syafitri Sitepu fled from her village near Sinabung this week, but said her husband had returned to look after their crops.

“He’s our family’s breadwinner. If he did not work, how would we be able to feed and buy milk for our baby?” said the 30-year-old.

The increase in Sinabung’s activity has been sudden and dramatic. Clouds of hot gas and rocks, as well as molten lava, cascaded down the volcano’s slopes in the past week, and officials warn there is a strong chance of more eruptions.

Even for those who have not been evacuated from their homes, the eruptions can be highly disruptive. Thick ash has blown over a great distance, coating crops and buildings and forcing people to wear face masks for protection.

For some, there is no choice as under-resourced local authorities are unable to provide decent, new homes.

Rosalinda, a 55-year-old who was recently evacuated, said that she would like her village to be relocated but the government has yet to take any action.

“We need money to move so we have to sell our homes first,” she said, “but who wants to buy our houses?”

* Agence France-Presse