Mt. Merapi calms as death toll reaches 50
Mt. Merapi calms as death toll reaches 50
YOGYAKARTA (JP): Mount Merapi grew calmer yesterday while 11
nearby hamlets remained closed indefinitely as the death toll of
last week's eruption reached 50.
The continued closure of the worst-stricken villages dashed
several thousand evacuees' hopes of an early return home. They
have spent days in makeshift tents thrown up by the Sleman
regency government as shelter.
Of the more than 5,500 evacuees, only 1,500, whose homes are
located outside the "no access" area, have been allowed to
return.
Adding to the villagers' frustration, Sleman Regent Arifin
Ilyas has announced that the government has yet to decide where
the stranded people will be resettled if the volcano remains
dangerous.
Turgo, the village closest to the volcano, has been declared
closed for good because it is located too close to the top of the
mountain. Residents from the other 10 hamlets affected will have
to wait until the volcano ceases excessive activity before they
can go home.
The 2,962 meter high volcano was spewing debris and burning
lava in lesser intensity yesterday, officials monitoring its
activity said.
Warnings
R. Sukyar of the Directorate of Volcanology said in a meeting
called to evaluate the aftermath of the Nov. 22 eruption that
people living near the mountain should remain alert for more
eruptions.
The strongest warnings were aimed at people residing along
rivers that begin on Merapi. The residents have been told to
expect deluges of lava when rainfall is heavy. An estimated 10
million cubic meters of lava has accumulated on the slopes of the
mountain.
In Jakarta, Director General for Geology and Mineral Resources
Adjat Sudradjat said in a hearing with the House of
Representatives that the death toll might not have been as high
if people had not defied warnings against residing too close to
the mountain.
Surgery
Meanwhile, doctors at Sardjito Hospital postponed plans to
perform plastic surgery on victims suffering serious injuries
because their conditions remained too critical.
They said the surgery, for which Japan has provided medical
equipment worth Rp 300 million (US$140,000), would possibly begin
today.
They said they need the skin of several dozen goats of no more
than three months old to cover the bodies of the patients after
they undergo surgery.
Cancelations
In a related development, hoteliers in this ancient city,
about 30 kilometers to the south of the volcano, are complaining
that Merapi's eruption has turned out to be bad news for them
because many foreign tourists have canceled their room
reservations.
"Many have canceled their bookings, but there are more
scheduled to come at the Christmas and New Year holidays," Titiek
Hariati, the public relations manager of the Auila Prambanan
Hotel, said.
About 40 Spanish tourists have reportedly canceled their room
reservations at the Melia Purosani Hotel.
Reports about the decline in the tourist arrivals were
confirmed by chief of the Yogyakarta chapter of the Hotel and
Restaurant Association, H.M. Abbas Yoenoes.
He said several hotels with steady customers from Taiwan,
China and Hong Kong had reported cancelations of room
reservations following widespread coverage about the eruption.
"They don't know that Yogyakarta is 30 kilometers from the
mountain and absolutely safe," he told Antara (mun/wah/fhp/pan)