E. Java tidal wave death toll exceeds 200<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The death toll from tidal waves that swept many
\nfishing villages in southeastern Java on Friday reached 201 as a
\nmassive and unplanned relief operation began yesterday.<\/p>\n
The spokesman for the East Java provincial governor said last
\nnight that the worst affected area was Banyuwangi regency, where
\n188 people were killed, the Antara news agency reported.<\/p>\n
Nine people were killed in Jember, and there were two deaths
\neach in Blitar, Malang and Tulungagung regencies.<\/p>\n
The spokesman said a total of 406 houses were destroyed and
\n380 fishing boats, the source of livelihood for most of the
\naffected people, were lost or damaged, most beyond repair.<\/p>\n
Officials said the death toll could still rise because there
\nare people who remain unaccounted for, either buried under the
\nruble, or fishermen who went astray during the tumult.<\/p>\n
Troopers, police with dogs, and medical workers poured in to
\nBanyuwangi during the weekend to help the grieving survivors cope
\nwith the aftermath of the disaster. They set up relief centers
\nand helped them search for bodies of their relatives and clear
\nout the debris.<\/p>\n
Grief, concern, tension, fear and hope all mixed together as
\nthe search and relief operations proceeded in Banyuwangi, which
\ncontinued to be rocked by mild quakes throughout the weekend,
\naccording to reports from the area.<\/p>\n
Huge tidal waves battered villages along the southeastern
\ncoast of Java before dawn on Friday following an earthquake,
\nmeasuring 5.9 on the Richter Scale in the Indian Ocean.<\/p>\n
526 tremors<\/p>\n
The Meteorology and Geophysics Office in Malang reported that
\na total of 526 tremors had been recorded since the first one on
\nFriday through yesterday at noon.<\/p>\n
The tremors were also felt in Bali which is located across
\nBanyuwangi but officials there said that there were no casualties
\nor destruction.<\/p>\n
The disaster is the worst since tidal waves, also prompted by
\nan earthquake, swept Flores Island in East Nusa Tenggara province
\nin December 1992, killing more than 2,000 people. It surpassed
\nthe massive earthquake that killed 200 people in Liwa, Lampung,
\nlast February.<\/p>\n
Within the Banyuwangi regency, the fishing village of Pancer
\nwas the worst hit with 111 people dead, according to reporters
\nfrom Surya, a Surabaya daily newspaper.<\/p>\n
Relief operations in Pancer were delayed because of the poor
\nroads to the village, which is about 70 km south of Banyuwangi.
\nThe roads were also clogged by people fleeing their villages.<\/p>\n
Banyuwangi regency sent two platoons of infantrymen to search
\nfor bodies. They joined three units of the Search and Rescue
\n(SAR) force who had arrived on Friday.<\/p>\n
The Navy's Surabaya-based Eastern Armada sent two ships to the
\nlocation, bringing troopers as well as food and medical supplies.
\nThe Marines have dispatched paramedics.<\/p>\n
Surabaya's Dr. Soetomo hospital said it is sending a team with
\nthe chief task of preventing the spread of disease that normally
\nfollows after such disasters.<\/p>\n
Three dogs from the Police's K-9 team took on the role of
\ndetecting bodies under the debris in Pancer. One of the dogs
\nfound two toddlers and an adult under one heap of debris.<\/p>\n
Three government ministers visited Pancer yesterday to assure
\nthe grieving survivors that their fate was now getting government
\nattention.<\/p>\n
Relief operation<\/p>\n
The three -- Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Azwar
\nAnas, Minister of Social Services Endang Kusuma Inten Suseno and
\nMinister of Public Works Radinal Moochtar -- stressed to
\nofficials supervising the relief operation the need to coordinate
\nefforts and make sure that aid reaches their intended recipients.<\/p>\n
\"I want a complete regular report on the operation,\" Inten
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
\"Remember the aid you are handling is mandated for many
\npeople,\" Azwar said repeatedly. Reports that relief aid for the
\nvictims of the Flores and Liwa disasters was misappropriated is
\napparently still haunting some officials.<\/p>\n
Azwar demanded that local officials help the fishermen repair
\nor buy new boats. \"That's their source of livelihood.\"<\/p>\n
Brawijaya Military Command Chief Maj. Gen. Haris Sudarno
\nwarned the local military and police officers not to touch a
\nsingle cent of the relief aid. \"Your job is to help
\ndistribution.\"<\/p>\n
The first relief supplies came from neighboring villages in
\nBanyuwangi, which were gathered spontaneously from the people who
\ncontributed rice, food and medicine. The military later came in
\nwith tents and more food and medicine.<\/p>\n
Then there were cash contributions and pledges.<\/p>\n
Minister Inten brought in Rp 100 million, and Minister Azwar
\nanother Rp 30 million.<\/p>\n
The first cash pledges came from the Forestry Community with
\nRp 1 billion to be distributed through the Ministry of Social
\nServices.<\/p>\n
The Italian champion football team A.C. Milan, in Surabaya for
\na friendly match today, has pledged $10,000 and during practice
\nyesterday held a minute of silence for the victims, the Antara
\nnews agency reported. (emb\/pan)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/e-java-tidal-wave-death-toll-exceeds-200-1447893297",
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