One more killed asaftershock hits Nabire

One more killed asaftershock hits Nabire

Muninggar Sri Saraswati and Yemris Fointuna,
The Jakarta Post/Jakarta/Kupang

An aftershock again rocked the Papua town of Nabire on Wednesday,
as residents were battling against various diseases that had
struck the city since the main quake last Friday.

The aftershock, measuring 4.5 on the Richter scale, killed one
person, bringing the death toll in the disaster to 29, Antara
reported.

Aris, 30, a resident of Karang Tumaritis hamlet in Nabire, was
killed after the major aftershock that destroyed his house.

Officials at the Meteorology and Geophysics Office (BMG) said
that the powerful aftershock had its epicenter the 33 kilometers
south west of Nabire.

The city has been rattled by some 200 smaller aftershocks
between Tuesday and Wednesday, which kept local residents in
constant fear.

In Jakarta, BMG's national office predicted that the
aftershocks would continue for between 20 days to a month after
the main quake.

Suharjono, the earthquake division head of the BMG, estimated
that the aftershocks would not exceed the strength of last week's
quake, which stood at 6.4 on the Richter scale.

Due to the possibility of more aftershocks in the weeks ahead,
Suharjono called on Nabire residents to stay away from damaged
houses and other structures.

Meanwhile, health officials in Nabire said that three ailments
had affected Nabire residents after Friday earthquake, namely
malaria, diarrhea and respiratory problems.

Pieter M. Paddalan, the head of Nabire Hospital, said 75
people were hospitalized due to malaria, 54 had respiratory
problems and 40 had diarrhea. Most of victims, who are being
treated at the hospital, were children.

The diseases struck the residents who lived in tents erected
outside the hospital for fear of further aftershocks, said
Pieter.

As of Wednesday, local residents were waiting for three
ministers, including Coordinating Minister of People's Welfare
Alwi Shihab, who were set to visit the area on the same day.

Besides the huge number of fatalities, Friday's quake also
injured hundreds of residents and left thousands of others
homeless.

Meanwhile, Alor regental government announced on Wednesday
that more medicine and medical workers were needed in the regency
after a major earthquake that hit the regency on Nov. 13.

Alor Deputy Regent Abraham Maulaka said that many residents
had been struck by post quake diseases.

Separately, chief of the social services office at East Nusa
Tenggara provincial administration Franciscus Salem said that the
provincial government would build low cost housing complexes in
order to allow Alor residents to settle there.

The buildings are expected to completed before Christmas this
year, said Franciscus.

The government is now collecting data on the victims of the
earthquake, which killed at least 34 and injured hundreds of
others.