42 quake survivors in South Nias die in shelters

42 quake survivors in South Nias die in shelters

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

At least 42 quake victims in South Nias regency reportedly died
in emergency shelters due to a lack of medical attention and food
aid, an official claimed on Monday.

Secretary of the South Nias earthquake disaster coordination
post, Herman Laiya, said most of the victims who died in the
shelters after the 8.7-magnitude earthquake rocked the island on
March 28 were children, teenagers and elderly residents from Gomo
and Teluk Dalam districts.

The victims died due to a lack of medical attention after
suffering serious injuries, such as broken bones and concussion,
he added.

Herman said hundreds of South Nias residents had suffered
serious injuries and were still waiting for medical attention.

He also blamed slow food aid distribution as a factor causing
death among people injured in the earthquake.

"Some people injured in the quake stayed in the shelters for
two or three days, then died. I'm worried the number will
increase if medical and food assistance does not immediately
reach this regency," Herman told The Jakarta Post by phone from
Medan.

He put the number of deaths in the regency as a result of the
earthquake at 142 people, 42 of whom had later died in emergency
shelters.

Many refugees, he added, still preferred to stay in hilly
areas, sleeping in tents, because of concerns about aftershocks.

According to coordination post data, the number of displaced
persons in South Nias regency stood at 3,749 people, and 23,855
from Nias regency.

Secretary of the North Sumatra disaster prevention post, Edy
Aman Saragih, said he had not yet received reports about people
with injuries who subsequently died in the shelters, expressing
doubt that people died from lack of food or medical attention.

He said that two weeks after the quake, medical services and
food aid distribution were operating effectively in the island's
two regencies.

However, Herman said food aid to South Nias was not being
evenly distributed because several bridges were still down.

"Food aid distribution is still limited to South Nias. Since
the quake, we've only distributed rice on two occasions to
people, each time giving them two cupfuls," he said.

Information coordinator at the Nias regency coordination post,
R.E. Nainggolan, said that no one in the regency had died for
want of medical attention or food aid. The quake claimed 492
lives in the regency, and 50 are still missing.

All hospitals and clinics in Nias regency were back in
operation and providing free medical services, he said.