Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval because of its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.
http://www.nysun.com/foreign/powerful-earthquake-rattles-indonesia/85600/
Date of Incident
Monday, November 17, 2008
Situation Analysis
Time: 00:02 hours local time (BMG) / 01:02 hours local time (USGS) / (+7 GMT)
Richter scale: 7.7 (USGS & BMG)
Epicenter: 136 Northwest of Gorontalo Province
Depth: 21 kilometers under sea level
Tsunami Warning: Alerted by BMG & Hawaii-based Pacific Tsunami warning Center (PTWC) to residence,
1,000 km – living near epicenter in coastal areas to move to higher ground. It was lifted at 02:30 hour’s local
time.
After shocks: 5.6 RS at 01:34 hours and 5.5 RS at 02:20 hours local time (USGS)
Place: The earthquake affected 4 districts & 1 municipality in three provinces in Sulawesi Island. Details are
as follows: 1. Nossa District, Gorontalo Province.
2. Buol, Poso and Toli-Toli Districts, Central Sulawesi Province.
3. Manado City, North Sulawesi Province.
Earthquake also affected Toli-Toli District, 250 km away from Gorontalo City
Affected Areas
IDP
• There are 9,750 IDPs in Bokat District and 6,000 IDPs in Biau District, Central Sulawesi
Province.
• IDPs were evacuated to Mt. Onone, Mt. Modo and Mt. Laeka, constructed makeshift tents
made out of plastic sheets and sarung clothings. Many families are now going back to their
homes.
Communication
Communication links with Buol District, Central Sulawesi was disrupted during the quake.
Transportation
Local transportation disrupted by the earthquake.
Tsunami Alert System
• The sea level rose briefly in some areas but no large waves were detected.
• Indonesia launched a new hi-tech tsunami alert system which able to detect an earthquake at
sea and predict the Tsunami within five minutes.
• It was built by German Technology, which include 23 or 24 buoys linked by cables to
detectors on the ocean floor.
• The system that cost 1.4 trillion rupiah ($ 130.2m) will be fully operational by 2010.
Government, Indonesia
• Identification teams (Rapid Assessment Teams) were created by Buol District Administration,
consisting of administration employees, disaster board members, police, soldiers and
journalist. The teams were tasked to identify fatalities and destruction in Buol’s 11 Districts.
• Social Service Minister reaffirmed the Government’s commitment to support Rp 400 billion
(US$ 33 million) for food and shelter, including funds to rebuild homes.
• Indonesian Government will provide funds to rebuild homes to the value of Rp 15 million per
home, and Rp 2 million in compensation for families of deceased victims.
• Government also granted permission to regents and governors of affected provinces to
distribute between 50 and 200 tons of rice from the Ministry Emergency’s stockpiles.
MOH – WHO, Indonesia
- Rapid Assessment team formed and deployed.
- Injured and ill cases referred to Puskesmas and District hospitals.
- Local health facilities alert to provide necessary health services base on needs.
- MOH provided 150 million rupiah for operational funds in Central Sulawesi Province, and 50
million rupiahs for Gorontalo Province.
- WHO and MOH up-dating the situation and filling the gaps in collaboration with District and
Provincial Coordination Units for Disaster Management (BPBD).
- WHO is in close communication with MOH in monitoring the situation through Regional Crisis
Center of Manado, North Sulawesi as well as District and Provincial Health Office of Gorontalo,
Central Sulawesi as well as North Sulawesi and Crisis Center, Jakarta.
http://www.ino.searo.who.int/LinkFiles/Emergency_and_humanitarian_action_ESR_Gorontalo.pdf
What more do you think can be done to reduce the impact of such earthquakes in the future?
Government
Create a detector to detect earthquake
Since technology is so advance nowadays, the government can employ people that can create a detector to detect the plate movements under the ground so as to prevent earthquake and other natural disaster such as floods and tsunamis, etc.
Educating the public
The government can also introduce an earthquake safety education for not only the students but also the public.
Use good quality materials for buildings
Instead of using low quality construction materials for buildings, the government should invest in good quality ones or use advanced techniques for building tall buildings which allow them to move with the earthquake rather than against it.
Public
Secure appliances
Appliances like televisions, computers, stereo equipment, and the like should likewise be properly secured. There are a number of materials available to do just that. You may use adhesive-backed latches, nylon cords, wires, elastic guardrails, and shelf edges to stop these from sliding down to the floor.
Keep a fire extinguisher on hand
Fire extinguishers are very useful to have on hand in the event of an earthquake. Small fires may ignite here and there, and the best way to prevent further damage is to nip those fires in the bud.
Store hazardous materials in a safe place
Hazardous chemicals such as paints, acids, and pesticides are extremely dangerous when spilled and mixed inadvertently. This could ignite fires and lead to severe losses. To prevent such damage, hazardous materials should be placed in appropriate containers, sealed tightly, and stored in a dry and secure area where the container is less likely to overturn if earthquake strikes
How do you feel about the situation? Do you think enough haas been done to reduce the impact of the earthquake?
I feel bad and devastated for the residents, especially to those who lost their family members in the earthquake and are homeless. I think the government had done enough for his people such as, Indonesian Government will provide funds to rebuild homes to the value of Rp 15 million per home, and Rp 2 million in compensation for families of deceased victims, etc.
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