Alor quake toll continues to rise
Yemris Fointuna, The Jakarta Post/Kupang
The death toll from a powerful earthquake that jolted Alor island in East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) rose to 25 on Tuesday as strong aftershocks continued to rattle the island.
An 11-month-old girl named Margareth Moymoley passed away Tuesday morning and a 15-year-old boy died on Monday night as a result of aftershocks, according to Alberth Ouwboly of the relief center in the island's main town of Kalabahi.
The main quake, measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale, struck the island on Friday, badly injuring 118 people and damaging some 4,000 buildings, including churches, mosques, schools and Mali Airport.
The quake and aftershocks have also forced some 50,000 people to flee to safer, open areas, with many of them suffering from various communicable diseases, including diarrhea and malaria.
Alor has a population of about 169,000 people.
As of Tuesday afternoon, at least 685 aftershocks had been recorded by the seismograph, including one measuring 4.6 on the Richter scale on Tuesday morning.
The death toll is likely to rise as relief workers left on foot Tuesday for up to a two-day trek to assess the situation in several villages where hundreds of people lived.
At least nine villages were still isolated and not yet reached by the rescue team. The nine villages are Tido, Kenari Mbara, Lipan, Mangantuati, Talbay, Pasi, Lakuati, Pasakdeta and Dapitau.
"These nine villages are out of reach as the roads and bridges have been damaged," said Mesakh Ngatabei, an officer from the natural disaster impact control agency.
"When the earthquake hit, interior villagers fled to the hills. We don't know if any of those refugees died or were injured," said a government officer, Alberth Ouwboly.
Albert said over the weekend that the entire population of North East Alor district, about 8,000 residents, was believed to have been left homeless by the quake, which destroyed every public and private building there.
Fewer than 500 tents had arrived since Friday's disaster, leaving most victims of the quake sleeping without shelter, he said.
Albert added that with the onset of rainy season imminent, there were fears of a disease outbreak if emergency shelter did not arrive fast.
The central government allocated Rp 1 billion (US$111,000) to rehabilitate damaged property and provide aid to the people affected, said Alor regent Ans Takalepeta.
"Treatment given to the victims will be fully covered by the government," he said on a visit to some of the makeshift camps with four ministers on Monday after the disaster.
Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, Minister of Social Services Bachtiar Chamsyah, Minister of Public Works Djoko Kirmanto and the Minister of Health Siti Fadilah Supari visited the location to meet the victims on Monday.
Alwi said the government would issue a regulation requiring people living in the area to build houses with quake-proof construction.
"Such a regulation will save lives if another earthquake hits," Alwi said.
Indonesia, located on the Pacific "Rim of Fire" noted for its volcanic and seismic activity, is one of the world's most earthquake-prone regions.
In February, at least 28 people died when a succession of powerful earthquakes hit Papua province.