Strong winds, rain damage tsunami refugee's tents

Strong winds, rain damage tsunami refugee's tents

Nani Afrida, The Jakarta Post, Banda Aceh

Strong winds and heavy rain in Banda Aceh over the last two days
has destroyed wooden houses and makeshift tents where tsunami
victims have been living following the Dec. 26 disaster.

Ida, a 28-year-old resident in Tibang village in Syiah Kuala
district, said on Monday that strong winds made people reluctant
to go out from their houses.

"We couldn't sleep last night because our wooden house was
being rocked by the wind. We're afraid it might fall down or fly
away in the wind," Ida told The Jakarta Post.

Tibang residents were just starting to build their houses
using timber planks after the tsunami ruined the village, which
is located a kilometer from the beachfront.

In Ulee Patah village in Aceh Besar regency, some 15 houses
belonging to refugees were destroyed by strong winds.

"Some of the houses are now crooked. If the wind gets any
stronger, the wooden houses and or tents won't be able to stand
it," said Sunandar, a 27-year-old resident of Ulee Patah village.

Strong winds also caused a house to be blown 10 meters from
its original position.

Destroyed houses and tents forced some people in the area to
return to refugee camps in Mata Ie and nearby areas, or back to
their relatives houses.

"People are afraid that there will be injuries. So it's better
to take shelter somewhere else," Sunandar said.

Alue Patah residents, who earlier numbered some 1,500 people,
now number only 150. They had just returned to their hometown and
had set up timber houses with the help of nongovernmental
organizations.

Apart from strong winds and heavy rain, Banda Aceh was also
hit by a strong aftershock measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale on
Monday, AFP reported, prompting panic among the population.

Inhabitants rushed out of their homes and offices and gathered
in the streets at 8:30 a.m., witnesses said.

The earthquake, was centered some 33 kilometers under the
ocean floor some 153 kilometers west of Banda Aceh, the
Meteorology and Geophysics Agency said.