Up to 200 still missing on Merapi

JAKARTA (JP): As many as 200 people were still not accounted for by yesterday, three days following the eruption of Mount Merapi in Central Java which has already killed 32 people.

Minister of Health Sujudi, who reported the condition of the victims to President Soeharto, said afterwards that the authorities feared for the safety of between 100 to 200 people who are believed trapped in areas no longer accessible following Tuesday's eruption.

Rescue workers were still unable to enter these villages to determine the fate of the people, Sujudi said, adding with a note of concern, "We hope they're safe."

There were also conflicting reports about the fate of some 50 workers, including a Japanese national, who were working at on a clean water project in Kali Boyong at the foot of Mt. Merapi.

One report said they were all safe but another suggested that they were not accounted for, and still another said only some of them had been accounted for.

Sujudi said about 60 people suffering from heavy burns needed immediate plastic surgery to save their lives.

They should be operated on once they have passed the critical stage, he said, adding that Indonesia might have to turn to neighboring countries for surgical assistance.

The Ministry of Health has already sent plastic surgeons to Yogyakarta to treat and operate on some of the victims, he added.

The official body counts of the Merapi eruption rose to 30 yesterday from 27 the previous day.

Health officials in Yogyakarta said many of those injured, especially those who sustained burns over more than 50 percent of their bodies, might not survive.

Surgery to restore their skin could require skin donors, something not readily available in Indonesia. Even if they were available, the surgery is still very complex, sources said to Antara.

Yogyakarta's hospital personnel said 42 people were in very critical condition and are being treated at Sardjito, Panti Rapih, Muhammadiyah and Bethesda hospitals.

The eruption on Tuesday caused a heat wave as high as 600 degree Celcius in addition to hurling hot rocks and ashes through villages to the south of the crater. Many of those who sustained burn injuries have also developed respiratory problems.

On a separate occasion, Minister of Mines and Energy I.B. Sudjana said yesterday that the volcano authorities had in fact issued several warnings about a likely eruption as far back as October.

The Directorate of Geology noticed the intense activity of the volcano in October and when the situation became critical on Nov. 4, it sent warnings to local authorities, urging them to vacate villages located in dangerous areas.

"But for some reason, these warnings never reached the villagers," said Sudjana, whose ministry oversees the directorate which monitors the activities of volcanoes in Indonesia.

"Maybe you could check on what really happened," he told journalists. "We could have prevented or minimized the casualties if they had been forewarned, or at least warned them not to enter the red zones."

Sudjana, who flew over the Merapi crater on Wednesday, said that although the volcano has quieted down, the danger remains.

"I saw a great deal of lava, estimated at some 11 cubic meters, which could start descending any time," he said. "Just imagine all that lava descending on villages. That's how dangerous the situation is."

Minister of Social Services Inten Soeweno was in Yogyakarta to supervise the massive relief operation underway to help the victims of the eruption.

Inten also warned people living along the Code River in Yogyakarta to prepare for evacuation because the lava would likely flow into the stream, Antara reported.

The river, which passes through Yogyakarta, is already carrying some volcanic materials but is not overflowing yet.

Director General of Irrigation Suparmono said his office was now preparing a third check dam just outside Yogyakarta to prevent lava and other volcanic material from going into the city.

Inten also urged the local authorities to get their casualty figures right, noting that the death toll reported to Jakarta varied and tended to be higher than what she found in the field.

The visit of Inten and other senior government officials from Jakarta to various hospitals and shelters helped relieve the pain that the victims have to endure. The officials also gave their assurances that the government would tend to their needs.

The victims also learned about the planned visit by President Soeharto to the stricken area on Saturday.

Officials in the Magelang regency, who have born the brunt of accommodating the thousands of fleeing villagers, were encouraging them to return to their homes yesterday after ascertaining that it was safe to do so.

In Boyolali, the authorities have urged villagers to the north of the crater to also prepare for evacuation at any time.

The village of Tlogolele, only five kilometers from the crater, was spared from the calamity because the ash and rocks went southward.

Still the authorities are taking no chances and have sent dozens of trucks to prepare evacuation of the villagers. (emb/har/wah)