JAKARTA LIFE'S STYLE
The number of deaths in the quake that hit West Sumatra on Wedneday reached 478 until Thursday evening.According to data from the Command Post of the Coordination Unit for Disaster Control in West Sumatra the deaths were recorded in Padang city, the towns of Pariaman, Solok and Bukitinggi, and Padang Pariaman district.
An officer at the command post, Evi, said the number continued to rise in line with continuing efforts to find bodies trapped under the rubble.
Most of the dead victims in Padang were found at Hotel Ambacang that collapsed, at the GAMMA Study Center, the LIA study center in Khatib Sulaiman and at the Foreign Language Institute (STBA).
"The toll may run into the thousands," Evi said.
Bodies continued to be taken to M Djamil Hospital and until Thursday evening their number reached 63, ANTARA News learned.
A lot of people came to the biggest hospital in Padang to see if their family members were among the dead.
The director of the hospital, Suchyar Iskandar, said right now the hospital received 90 dead victims and treated 168 wounded victims.
Among the dead was Yuli Syahrial, the head of the Bank Internasional Indonesia branch in Padang. According to a BII staff Yuli was just assigned to Padang several months ago. She died while she was in the office at the time of quake.
Situation in Padang, the capital city of West Sumatra province was dark with no electricity gripping people with fear while traffic was busy. All businesses in the city are closed and people have been complaining of difficulties finding fuel oils.
The people in the city also faced water problems as supply from the water company PDAM stopped. "I have not taken a bath since in the morning. It is also difficult to get drinking water," Monika, a resident in Alang Lawas Koto said.
West Sumatra governor Gamawan Fauzi said evacuation the victims was the priority.
He said he had channeled Rp500 million for emergency response activities in four regions, namely Padang, Pesisir Selatan, Padangpariaman and Pariaman.
He said he had also distributed rice to the four districts. "Right now the provincial administration has Rp2.6 billion for emergency response purposes. The Coordination Unit for Disaster Control also has Rp2.5 billion," he said.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono who just arrived from the US to attend the G-20 summit arrived in Padang on Thursday evening to inspect the quake-hit region. Around 80 percent of buildings in the city had been damaged including school and university buildings.(ANTARA News)
0 komentar:
Post a Comment