Up to 200 still missing on Merapi

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)