Strong aftershock rocks Bengkulu for some 15 minutes
Strong aftershock rocks Bengkulu for some 15 minutes
JAKARTA (JP): A powerful aftershock measuring 6.2 on the
Richter scale jolted earthquake-stricken Bengkulu early on
Thursday as locals protested the slow supply of emergency relief.
The tremor, which was also felt in the South Sumatra
provincial capital of Palembang and the town of Lahat, shook the
area for some 15 minutes at about 6:45 a.m.
Antara reported that one person died as a result of the tremor
in Lahat, while over 600 buildings were damaged.
The Meteorologic and Geophysics Office in Kepahiang, Bengkulu,
said the aftershock's epicenter was near Enggano island, some 120
kilometers from the provincial capital of Bengkulu, and 100
kilometers below sea level.
A series of powerful earthquakes also shook China, Japan and
Myanmar at about the same time.
Hundreds of small aftershocks have followed the 7.9 earthquake
that hit the province late on Sunday, causing locals to panic and
creating fresh fears of more fatalities and damage.
Bengkulu Governor Hasan Zen called on local residents to
remain calm and disregard speculation that a tidal wave and more
powerful aftershocks would follow Thursday's tremor.
"We appeal to the local people to ignore these rumors. The
mass media should participate in helping to calm the situation,"
he said.
Hundreds of people in the provincial capital of Bengkulu on
Thursday also expressed frustration over what they saw as the
slow pace of emergency assistance to thousands of people badly
needing help.
Most of these people are being accommodated in makeshift tents
after their houses collapsed in the disaster.
The supply of emergency relief to victims has been slow
because of damage to many roads, a shortage of transportation
facilities, including airline flights, to the province.
Meanwhile, social workers and medical teams both from Jakarta
and many foreign countries have started work to provide food and
medical aid to the injured.
Shushaki Hirayasu, who leads the Japanese medical team, said
his team was concentrating on helping treat hundreds of seriously
injured victims in Muhammad Yunus General Hospital in Bengkulu
city.
He said he was coordinating with the government-supported task
force to distribute aid to the needy.
Idris, the hospital's director, hailed the coordination among
medical teams to help treat patients in the hospital.
He said 54 patients were undergoing intensive treatment for
serious injuries in the hospital, while 92 others have been
allowed to go home. Another 13 died in hospital. (rms)