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Wed, 10 May 2000

JP/At least 30,000 quake refugees badly treated

At least 30,000 quake refugees badly treated

MAKASSAR, South Sulawesi (JP): At least 30,000 people rendered homeless by last week's earthquake in Central Sulawesi have insufficient food and water. Meanwhile, the death toll reached 46 on Tuesday.

Disrupted roads and communication failures have hampered the delivery of food and medicine for the refugees and quake survivors in isolated areas.

Luwuk Banggai regent Sudarto and Imran, secretary of the crisis center in Luwuk Banggai told The Jakarta Post that they worried about the condition of the refugees.

"If adequate medical and food aid don't come soon, the condition of the refugees, especially those who are injured, will worsen. There are now 16 people under intensive care at the Luwuk state hospital," Imran said.

"Six days after the quake we've collected only Rp 30 million in cash, 58 tons of rice, two tons of sugar, 1,600 boxes of instant noodles and 18 boxes of crackers."

All the food stuff came from Sulawesi, and "nothing has come from the central government," he said.

The earthquake occurred last Thursday and measured 6.5 on the Richter scale. Banggai Islands regency and Luwuk Banggai regency on mainland Central Sulawesi were struck hardest.

The strong quake, which caused huge tidal waves, was followed by at least 200 aftershocks.

Sudarto said there had been various reports of the number of casualties.

"I've heard 39, 40 and 46. I am not sure which is correct. It is quite understandable because the communication network in the quake-hit regencies was severely disrupted," Sudarto said.

According to the crisis center in Luwuk Banggai, the number of dead was unchanged. However, reports from emergency posts in the districts said that the death toll reached 46 on Tuesday.

Ten of the deceased were unearthed from debris on Monday and Tuesday. "All of them were residents of Luwuk Banggai Islands," a staffer at a district emergency post said. "Two of them were identified as Yamin, 40, and Lahabali, 25, bringing to 18 the number of deceased who have been identified." (27/sur)