President to visit quake site

President to visit quake site

JAKARTA (JP): The death toll of the earthquake in the Kerinci
regency, Jambi, has reached 80, while 736 people are being
treated for serious injuries.

In addition, at least 1,520 people are reported to have
sustained minor injuries.

Assistance from various parties has been rendered to the
64,694 people left without food and shelter by the quake,
Minister of Social Affairs Endang Kusuma Inten Suweno said
yesterday.

Inten told the press after meeting with President Soeharto
that the President, who conveyed his sympathy and condolences to
the victims and their families, is scheduled to visit the site
tomorrow.

Although the death toll has increased from the last reports of
78, the statistic for serious injuries has decreased by one, an
official monitoring the situation told The Jakarta Post by phone
yesterday.

"But the number of victims could possibly increase," said the
official, Harmain. He said that, so far, the delivery of various
forms of assistance had been going smoothly.

Relief workers, medical personnel, 150 soldiers, residents and
members of the National Coordinating Team for Natural Disasters
are still looking for victims under the rubble.

Residents, mostly living in tents, now face water shortages
and are suffering from cold and hunger in the hill town. Harmain
said clean water supplies are still being monitored.

Buildings destroyed have reached 11,253, including 5,133
destroyed homes, according to the National Team, which has taken
up headquarters at the office of the Kerinci regency.

Five schools, four mosques and 15 prayer houses were also hit,
said Harmain.

The earthquake, which hit six districts in Kerinci at 1:09
a.m. on Saturday, measured 7.0 on the Richter scale with a depth
of 33 kilometers.

The districts are Sungai Penuh, Gunung Kerinci, Gunung Raya,
Air Hangat, Ketunggalaut and Danau Kerinci. The epicenter of the
quake was about 16 kilometers west of Sungaipenuh, which lies
close to the West Sumatran border.

Residents still fear more quakes, although so far no
casualties have been reported from the 15 after-tremors in
Padangpanjang and 16 in Bukittinggi. The last tremor at 6:45 p.m.
yesterday measured 3.4 on the Richter scale.

"Usually, if the main earth quake has occurred, the following
ones's strength will decrease to the point where people do not
feel it," said the chief of the Meteorology and Geophysical
Office in Padangpanjang, Sudadi, as quoted by Antara.

Patients also filled tents in the grounds of the government-
owned Sungai Penuh Hospital.

Tents are among the assistance sent from Jakarta, along with
41 medical personnel, including five surgeons, one orthopedic
specialist and 10 surgery interns.

Other personnel sent by the Ministry of Health are a
pediatrician, a midwife and an internist, said Soeyoga, the
ministry's director general of medical services, yesterday.

The military health center has sent 10 medical personnel,
consisting of six nurses, an anesthetic, a surgeon and another
orthopedic specialist.

"Medicines and blankets are still needed," Inten told
reporters. "Direct assistance is welcomed as transportation is
difficult."

The road from Sungai Penuh to Kerinci has also been damaged,
with 30 meters having sunk by about two meters. In addition, the
410 kilometers from Jambi to the site now takes nine hours to
travel.

On the orders of Sriwijaya military commander Maj.Gen. R.
Karyono, emergency patients have been evacuated to Jambi and, if
necessary, will also be moved to Jakarta. Evacuation by air has
been made possible through the help of four helicopters and a
Hercules transport plane owned by the military.

"Many people still need treatment," said Col. Inf. Muchdi
Purwo Pranjono, the local military commander, Antara reported.

Suheni Soedjatmiko, the spokeswoman of the Ministry of Health,
also said the ministry is preparing to deal with possible further
problems which usually occur in the aftermath of earthquakes,
mainly diarrhea and breathing difficulties.

"We are preparing clean water supplies, infusion and Oralit
(liquid treatment for diarrhea)," said Suheni.

Other assistance delivered through the Jambi administration
from the central government includes 20 tons of rice and clothes,
Rp 100 million in cash, 2,000 blankets and food.

The South Sumatran provincial office delivered 10 tons of rice
and 200 boxes of instant noodles while local police sent five
tons of rice.

The Jakarta branch of the Indonesian Red Cross, PMI, has also
sent 25 packets of blood, each containing 200 cc, 15 personnel,
medicines, and Rp 11 million in cash donated by the public. Part
of the contributions come from PMI's national fund-raising month,
which falls each September.

PMI's Jakarta office has also delivered five tons of rice,
5,000 clothes, 500 blankets and 320 boxes of instant noodles.
(anr)

Editorial -- Page 4