2004 natural disaster toll reaches at least 60

Yuli Tri Suwarni The Jakarta Post Bandung

At least 60 people have been killed and 70 others severely injured following a series of natural disasters that struck the country in the past two months, an official has said.

The natural disasters include the landslide in the Central Java regency of Purworejo, the devastating earthquake in the Papua regency of Nabire and the West Sumatra mayoralty of Padang, and the fatal storm in the Lombok Strait.

"They became victims mostly because they lived in poorly constructed houses," said Surono, head of the Geological Disaster Mitigation office in Bandung, which falls under the Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources.

Surono said the conclusion was based on the latest finding by a team that visited Nabire, where a major tremor last month killed at least 37 people. A survey by the team showed that most of the victims had lived in residential houses not designed to be quake-resistant.

"Those who stayed in hotels or other well-constructed buildings survived the earthquake," said Surono.

The finding should serve as a painful lesson to those living in quake-prone areas, said Surono, adding that people should consider constructing more sturdy homes to prevent fatalities in the event of future earthquakes.

"It is timely for Indonesians to build quake-resistant buildings, particularly in quake-prone areas throughout the country," said Surono.

The archipelagic country, located in an area called the "Ring of Fire" for its high rate of volcanic and tectonic activity, is prone to earthquakes on all major islands but Kalimantan.

Indonesia, explained Surono, was the meeting point of three lithospheres: the Australian lithosphere converges from the south to the north, the Eurasian lithosphere presses from north to south and the Pacific lithosphere pushes from east to west.

The natural disaster toll has been rising in Indonesia, from 212,000 injured and killed between 1981 and 1990, to 709,000 victims from 1991 to 2000.

Quake-Prone Areas

Sumatra Tarutung, North Sumatra province

Padang, West Sumatra province

Bengkulu province

Lampung province

Java Throughout Java, especially

southern Java

Nusa Tenggara Lombok Strait (West and East Nusa Tenggara)

Sulawesi Palu, Central Sulawesi

Papua All parts of Papua