LAKSAMANA.Net, March 30, 2005 12:00 AM
Over 1,000 Feared Dead In Nias Quake
Laksamana.Net - At least 430 people are dead and more than 1,000 missing,
apparently trapped under rubble, after an 8.7-magnitude earthquake occurred off the
coast of northern Sumatra, with the island of Nias being the worst hit.
The quake took place late Monday (28/3/05) and prompted Thailand, Japan and Sri
Lanka to issue tsunami warnings. Reports said the tremors shook much of Sumatra
for three minutes, causing thousands of people to flee their houses.
The epicenter of the earthquake was about 120 kilometers north of Nias, on the same
tectonic fault line of the cataclysmic 9-magnitude December 26 quake, which caused
gigantic tidal waves that killed approximately 300,000 people in 11 countries. About
230,000 of the deaths were in Indonesia's Aceh province, on the northern tip of
Sumatra.
Seismologists said Monday's quake was the eighth most powerful on record over the
last century. It caused tsunamis but they were apparently minor not destructive,
although there are concerns for about 10,000 people living on the Banyak islands,
near the epicenter.
Vice President Jusuf Kalla said it was difficult to assess the level of damage in Nias,
but the death toll could reach 2,000.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono canceled his planned state visits to Australia,
New Zealand and East Timor, and said he would fly to Nias and Simeulue islands to
inspect the extent of the damage. “I have postponed the visits until our emergency
relief program for Nias and Simeulue is running well,” he was quoted as saying by
state news agency Antara.
He expressed his condolences to the relatives of the dead and said the government
was focusing on sending medical workers to the affected areas.
The president said he had instructed North Sumatra Governor Rizal Nurdin to make
every possible effort to provide the victims of the quake with emergency assistance.
He also said the government would gladly accept international humanitarian aid. "I
continue to communicate with the international community on this mater," he added.
Asked whether the situation on Nias would be declared a national disaster,
Yudhoyono said it was more important to swiftly provide emergency relief to the
victims. “The important question now is not declaring the event a national disaster
but how to give emergency relief appropriately."
Indonesian Defense Forces (TNI) commander General Endriartono Sutarto said one
Army battalion, four helicopters and two warships had been pulled out of relief
operations in Aceh and assigned to Nias to provide emergency assistance.
He also said Singapore had offered to deploy three Chinook helicopters, while
Australia offered a naval vessel equipped with a hospital. The US has also promised
assistance, while the United Nations has already commenced helicopter flights to
Nias to deliver aid.
The National Police on Tuesday flew a 17-member team to Nias to assist with the
relief effort. Police spokesman Inspector General Aryanto Budihardjo said the team
consists of seven doctors, three intelligence officers, three public relations officers,
two logistics officers, and two officers from the force's communications and
technology division.
"They bring with them 200 body bags, 10 tents, 14 communications and electronics
appliances, 500 sarongs, medical equipment and medicine," he was quoted as saying
by state news agency Antara.
The Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and the International Committee of the Red Cross
flew a 12-member team to Nias to assess the damage and provide medical aid.
PMI spokesman Aswi Nugroho said the organization was also sending scores of
volunteers to Nias by ferry from the North Sumatra coastal town of Sibolga. "They are
bringing food, water, 500 tarpaulins, 500 body bags and medicine," he said.
PMI has also sent an ambulance and the ICRC has prepared a Cessna aircraft in the
North Sumatra capital of Medan to bolster the humanitarian assistance, he added.
Gunung Sitoli
Presidential envoy Tahi Bonar Silalahi said the quake destroyed almost 80% of the
buildings in Gunung Sitoli, the main town on Nias, which is home to about 600,000
people, mostly Christians.
The Associated Press reported that from the air, it appeared that about 30% of the
town was destroyed, while the island's second biggest town, Teluk Dalam, also
suffered significant damage.
The quake also damaged roads, bridges, power lines, telephone lines and the island's
airport.
Reports said many dead and injured people were trapped under rubble. Other victims
had not received medical treatment, as the town's main hospital was suffering a
blackout and several doctors and nurses had reportedly fled to nearby hills because
they feared possible tsunamis.
Military spokesman Brigadier Daya Ratnayake said the government had ordered
people living in eastern coastal areas to move to higher ground.
Communication and Information Minister Sofyan Djalil said Sibolga will become the
main gateway for the airlifting of relief aid to the earthquake victims. A helicopter trip
from Sibolga to Nias takes less than an hour, whereas the journey by boat normally
takes four to five hours.
Government Urged to Form Earthquake Emergency Body
People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) speaker Hidayat Nurwahid on Tuesday called
on the government to set up a special body to handle emergency situations arising
from earthquakes.
"The quake on Nias island is the latest proof that Indonesia is situated in an
earth-quake-prone region," he was quoted as saying by Antara.
He said the proposed body should be permanent and have full authority to act when
quakes strike.
Indonesia already has a National Disaster Management Coordinating Board
(Bakornas), although it is a non-structural entity and lacks detailed guidelines and
regional networks.
"If necessary, Bakornas should also be given permanent status. If Bakornas is turned
into a permanent body it will be ready at any time to act instantly and directly in the
field to deal with earthquake situations. If the government can do this, public trust in
the government can increase," said Hidayat.
Japanese Aid
Japanese Deputy Ambassador Masafumi Kuroki on Tuesday said his country will
consider extending aid for the Nias earthquake victims after receiving an official report
from the Indonesian government on the number of affected people and the level of
damage.
"On the question of Japan's aid for earthquake victims in Nias, we are still waiting for
the Indonesian government's official report on the damage and victims," he said.
"As to sending Japan's representatives to the location, we are still facing problems in
transportation because all transportation facilities in the region were destroyed," he
added.
Japanese Prime Minister Junichiro Koizumi has sent his condolences to Yudhoyono
over the disaster and expressed hope that emergency relief and rehabilitation efforts
can be commence soon.
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