Tsunami hysteria haunts C. Sulawesi<\/p>\n
Ridwan Max Sijabat, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Thousands of people in Central Sulawesi who fled to the highlands
\nbecause they feared a tsunami would hit the province after
\nMonday's strong earthquake, remained in shelters on Tuesday
\ndespite no further reports of aftershocks.<\/p>\n
Only a few refugees returned home, including some students who
\nreturned to school after a day after the early morning 6.2-
\nmagnitude quake destroyed or damaged at least 23 buildings near
\nits epicenter.<\/p>\n
Many government offices resumed services to the public, and
\ntraditional markets and shops in the provincial capital of Palu
\nreopened.<\/p>\n
However, Antara news agency reported that more than 10,000
\nresidents from Palu and the Donggala regency had refused to
\nreturn home and continued to live in makeshift tents.<\/p>\n
Many housing areas in Palu and villages in Donggala remained
\ndeserted, while other refugees who had returned to their homes
\nslept outside to avoid the effect of possible aftershocks.<\/p>\n
Government officials from the provincial government and the
\nPalu and Donggala local administrations visited the makeshift
\ntents in Paneki village and west Palu, to try to persuade the
\nrefugees to leave.<\/p>\n
Aswan, a 23-year-old refugee in Ngatabaru, located some 200
\nmeters above sea level, said he and his family fled their home in
\nPetabo, south Palu, after the quake.<\/p>\n
They were still staying in the refuge area because they
\nbelieved rumors there would be stronger aftershocks and
\nsubsequent tsunami tidal waves, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't want to gamble with our lives because tsunamis kill
\nin minutes and nobody could do anything to save us,\" Aswan said.<\/p>\n
Ani, a 52-year-old mother of four from Dolo, Donggala, said
\nshe had brought her children to a refuge camp in Kawatuna because
\nher house was badly damaged by the disaster.<\/p>\n
A security guard at Mutiara Airport in Palu said that more
\nthan 7,000 Palu residents were still camping in forest areas
\naround the airport.<\/p>\n
The Undata Hospital was also deserted and dozens of seriously
\nill patients had been moved to makeshift tents in the hospital's
\nparking area. More than 100 other patients had been taken home by
\ntheir relatives.<\/p>\n
Hospital director Dr. Riri Lamadjido said that six terminally
\nill patients in intensive care and several others suffering
\nserious diseases were transferred to the makeshift tents in
\nanticipation of stronger aftershocks.<\/p>\n
\"It's only temporary,\" Riri said. Many patients taken by their
\nrelatives following the earthquake had now returned to the
\nhospital because they still needed medical treatment, she said.<\/p>\n
Suko Prayitno Adhi, chief of Palu's Meteorology and Geophysics
\nAgency, said it was unlikely there would be strong tremors or any
\nresulting tsunamis in the immediate future.<\/p>\n
Only extremely large undersea earthquakes, generally higher
\nthan magnitude-8, trigger tsunamis.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/tsunami-hysteria-haunts-c-sulawesi-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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