Earthquake kills over 70 in Jambi

Earthquake kills over 70 in Jambi

JAKARTA (JP): At least 70 people were killed following a
powerful earthquake that struck Kerinci, a regency in the western
part of Jambi province shortly after 1 a.m. yesterday.

Earlier, there were conflicting reports about the number of
casualties as Jambi officials, rescue workers and military
personnel worked around the clock to unearth bodies from under
rubble and to look for possible survivors.

Jambi Governor Abdurrahman Sayoeti told state television TVRI
last night that the actual body count was 70, with 50 people
listed as injured.

The Jambi office of the Ministry of Social Services said over
10,000 buildings were destroyed or damaged by the quake,
according to Antara.

Some local officials contacted earlier said the number could
exceed 100 because many people were believed to have been buried
under their collapsed houses.

Col. Muchdi Pranjono, the chief of the Jambi military command,
said at midday yesterday that his provisional figure also
indicated that the casualties were "about 100".

The worst affected area was Gunung Kerinci Regency at the foot
of Mt. Kerinci about 410 kilometers to the west of Jambi town.

An earlier report by Antara said that in Sungaipenuh, the
largest town in the regency, more than 100 people may have been
killed. More than 500 buildings -- including houses, mosques and
other public facilities -- collapsed, the report said.

Roads were damaged and bridges destroyed, making rescue
efforts even more difficult, it said. Telephone lines and
electricity poles were knocked down by the impact.

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency in Jakarta said the
earthquake measured 7 on the open-ended Richter scale.

Epicenter

Its epicenter was put at about 16 kilometers west of
Sungaipenuh which lies close to the West Sumatra border. Semurup,
a town near Sungaipenuh, also reported casualties and extensive
damage.

Irsal Nurdin, a Semurup resident, told The Jakarta Post by
phone that he counted 25 bodies by 11 a.m., and the number
continued to rise.

Irsal, who was contacted on his hand phone, said that based on
contacts with residents in other districts, the number of
casualties was already in excess of 100. "This is not counting
those who are buried under the rubble."

The earthquake struck when most people were asleep and they
hardly had time to flee homes for safety, he said.

One resident said the tremor lasted more than 30 seconds.

A series of aftershocks, though of declining intensity, added
to the terror residents faced since the first blow, Irsan said.

"Most people just stayed outside their homes. They're too
frightened to go inside. One more strong tremor, and their houses
will collapse," he said, saying that houses in Semurup were
either flattened to the ground, or have developed huge cracks.

"I guess they'll be camping outside tonight" he said.

Irsan said all hospitals and community health centers in both
Semurup and Sungaipenuh were so full that many who sustained
serious injuries were left unattended. Many were still lying on
the streets yesterday afternoon, he added.

"We desperately need food," Irsan said. "The food left behind
inside houses is inedible."

Officials in Jambi said among the districts in Sungaipenuh
that saw the most damage were Gunung Kerinci, Air Hangat,
Sitinjau Laut and Danau Kerinci.

Aryana Yasin, the head of the Jambi meteorology office, said
that communication with most of the areas struck by the
earthquake were virtually cut off, making it difficult for
officials to assess the extent of casualties and damage.

Governor Abdurrahman Sayoeti last night urged people in his
province to extend help to quake victims and to pray for their
wellbeing. "I appeal to everyone to remain calm and to pray, and
extend whatever help you can to ease the suffering of our
brothers and sisters struck by the disaster," he was quoted by
Antara as saying.

Col. Muchdi, the Jambi military commander, said he had
dispatched an entire company from the 142nd battalion, two
ambulances and army doctors and paramedics to the stricken areas.

They also brought with them food and medicines, he told
Antara.

Relief operation

Ahyat Kurnia of the Jambi provincial administration said his
office was coordinating the relief operation in Gunung Kerinci,
establishing public kitchens in the stricken areas, sending
relief food including sacks of rice and two truckloads of instant
noodles, and dispatching medical teams.

The Ministry of Health in Jakarta has also responded quickly.
"We're sending five ambulances, 41 doctors and paramedics. They
will board a Hercules transport plane that's leaving for Jambi
this afternoon," Bagus Mulyadi of the directorate of public
hospitals, told the Post.

Yesterday's earthquake was the worst of numerous quakes to
strike the island of Sumatra in the last 20 months. In February
1994, an earthquake measuring 6.5 on the Richter scale struck the
Liwa regency in the southern province of Lampung, killing 201
people.

Both Gunung Kerinci and Liwa are located along the Barisan
Range which experts say are highly prone to earthquakes.
(03/05/emb)