Assistance flowing to quake-hit Aceh

Aid is flowing into Aceh Province, particularly Pidie Jaya District, which was hit by a 6.5-magnitude earthquake on Wednesday that killed 92 people and injured more than 200.

The key agencies involved in relief work are the Ministry of Social Affairs, the PMI Bogor Hospital, the Air Force, the House of Representatives and the National Search and Rescue Agency (Bazarnas).

President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) will also visit the quake-rocked region of Pidie Jaya but his schedule will be determined later as he does not want his visit to impede relief and evacuation work; the priority is to allow rescue workers to carry out their jobs.

According to the chief of the Iskandar Muda Military Command, Major General Tatang Suherman, who quoted sources from military and police personnel in the field, at least 92 people have lost their lives and 213 have been injured.

The earthquake, which destroyed several houses and places of worship, occurred at 5:03 am local time on Wednesday, with its epicenter at 5.19 degrees northern latitude and 96.36 degrees eastern longitude, at a depth of 10 kilometers, some 18 km northeast of Pidie Jaya.

The Ministry of Social Affairs has prepared a relief package worth Rp2.096 billion.

"We have prepared emergency assistance, which is being sent to the location. Hopefully, the assistance will reach the location on Friday, December 9," Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa said in a press statement on Wednesday.

The relief material includes family tents, rolling tents, mattress, blankets, family kits, food ware, kids ware, instant noodles, canned food, and various other basic commodities. The ministry has also set up public kitchens and sent a team of specialists to help handle cases of trauma.

The PMI Bogor Hospital has sent a team of doctors and nurses. "We sent orthopedists and nurses," PMI Bogor Hospitals spokesman Yudha W Waspada said in Bogor, West Java.

He said that RS PMI Bogor had sent a medical team following a request from PMI Aceh to PMI (Indonesian Red Cross) in Jakarta.

Meanwhile, the Indonesian Air Force (TNI AU) has put on standby C-130 Hercules planes to transport medical workers and relief material.

"TNI AU has readied three Hercules planes from Air Squadron 31 of the Halim Perdanakusuma Airbase and Air Squadron 32 of Abdulrachman Saleh Airbase," TNI AU spokesman Air Commodore Jemi Trisonjaya told reporters on Wednesday.

The planes will be seen off by National Defense Forces Commander General Gatot Nurmantyo.

House Speaker Setya Novanto has also urged leaders of all parties in the House to speed up efforts to provide assistance to the victims. "Several factions have agreed to provide assistance, which will be delivered in the coming few days," the speaker said.

He said that the members of the House were determined to help the victims and see for themselves the damage caused by the quake. Novanto also asked rescuers from Bazarnas and other agencies to evacuate people swiftly. 

The Baznas also sent rescuers and medical workers. Baznas Director Arifin Purwakananta said in Jakarta that they responded quickly to the disaster by evacuating people and providing medical treatment in Ule Glee, the most affected region.

President Jokowi sent his chief of presidential staff Teten Masduki to Aceh to monitor the quake's aftermath.

"I have ordered everyone to act according to their respective authority. The chief of the presidential staff will also leave for Aceh," President Jokowi said at the State Palace on Wednesday.

The president noted that he had received a report on the earthquake: "An earthquake occurred in Aceh. I have received a report on it."

The head of state said he will continue to monitor developments. "We will continue to follow the developments in Aceh."

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported that at least 14 buildings collapsed as a result of the quake.

"Ten shops and four houses collapsed. Several electricity poles in Pidie Jaya also crumpled, and one resident was injured," Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, head of BNPBs information data center and public relations, stated.

The BNPB command post had confirmed to the agencys regional office that the earthquake had no potential to trigger a tsunami, he disclosed. People had felt strong tremors for 15 seconds in Pidie Jaya and Pidie districts, the BNPB official said.

"Several buildings collapsed. The quake also destroyed one mosque in Bireuen District," he said.

Minister of Social Affairs Khofifah Indar Parawansa will visit Pidie Jaya soon.

"We have deployed a team there, and the social affairs minister plans to visit Pidie Jaya on Friday (December 9)," Director General of Protection and Social Security of the Ministry of Social Affairs Harry Hikmat said here on Wednesday.

The ministrys team, led by the director of disaster mitigation, left for Pidie Jaya on Wednesday morning.

The social affairs ministry has deployed personnel from the Disaster Mitigation Office (Tagana) to help evacuate injured residents and remove the bodies of the dead

Source: ANTARA