Merapi calmer as deaths rise to 38
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Mount Merapi was calm yesterday after a night of heavy rainfall as the death toll for Tuesday's eruption reached 38 people.
A command post set up at the Dr. Sardjito Hospital, which coordinates the medical treatment of the volcano victims at three other hospitals, confirmed the figure last night.
Some of the 200 people, who are still unaccounted for, are feared dead.
Up to last night 5,000 refugees were sheltered in five villages outside the radius of six kilometers from the declared danger zones, as the local authorities declared 10 more hamlets as danger zones and closed them to the public.
Residents of three villages in Dukun district, Magelang regency, were called on to stay alert because rainfall could bring down cold lava.
The three villages are located six kilometers from the top of the volcano.
An official of the Yogyakarta Volcanic Agency said residents living along the Code River were being advised to move to safer areas to avoid the lava.
Atje Purbawinata from the Mt. Merapi Monitoring Office said the danger lay in the evaporation of hot lava deposits in the rivers, which he said could endanger residents living near by.
Another official has speculated that the critical period would be passed in between five to seven days after the eruption.
The situation in the Sumberrejo, Kaliurang Utara, and Kaliurang Selatan villages, which have been deserted since the eruption, began to return somewhat to normal yesterday with people returning from evacuation sites.
Residents of Kaliurang Atas and Kaliurang Bawah were allowed to return to their homes during the day to enable them to take care of their cattle and plants.
However, they were told to return to their emergency shelters in the village meeting halls, at night.
Jurangjero, a tourist object with a beautiful panorama near Mt. Merapi, has been re-opened, but no visitors have been brave enough to even try to get there, a Srumbung district officer said yesterday.
A member of the medical team from Dr. Sardjito Hospital, Sudirman Tirtoprodjo, raised concerns over the unhealthy environment of the evacuation camps. He cited the public toilets, which did not meet healthy standards and the poor hygiene of the people who were being crowded together.
"Things will get worse if rain comes," he said.
The head of the medical team, Dr. Wijono, said that he had coordinated with the provincial Public Works Office and the Health Office to cope with the problem.
"But they still need more clothes, including underwear, and bath items like soap, toothbrushes and towels," he said.
Food, medicine, blankets and other contributions for the victims continue to come in not only from government offices, but also from individuals as well as private companies.
Soeharto's eldest daughter Siti Hardiyanti Rukmana, Minister of Food/Chairman of the Logistics Board Ibrahim Hasan and Central Java Military Commander Maj. Gen. Suyono have visited the victims in the evacuation camps and hospitals.
Rukmana handed over Rp 102 million, while Ibrahim donated 30 tons of rice.
President Soeharto and First Lady Tien Soeharto are expected here today. They will visit the volcano victims at hospitals and talk to survivors.
Acting Public Works Minister Haryanto Danutirto, who has visited the location on a separate occasion, said that three dams will be constructed there. Several bridges which were damaged by the disaster will be repaired as well. (har/wah/mun/sim/pan/tis)