LATEST NEWS + UPDATES
from the ELECTRIC LAMB MISSION in west sumatra
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NIAS - A TRAGEDY IN PROGRESS
22 April, 2005
Recent sitreports and comments by food distribution agencies show that evaluations of the food supply and perceptions of the urgency of food distribution are worlds apart. Our team have just returned from one of the hardest hit and poorest parts of the island:
1. The Gomo subregency has a population of over 40,000 (estimated may exceed 50,000)and there is only one very badly damaged road in to the town. After that there are no real roads but motorbikes can make it back 2-5 km in some directions before hitting the mountains.
2. The traditional village just west of Gomo town is considered to be the first area settled on Nias. The tiny valley has very rich soil and good water and every inch of river flat or foothills slope is intensively cultivated with wet rice. There is very little land suitable for rice as the mountains are very steep and convoluted starting both sides of the township. There are 38 villages around Gomo and none can be reached by wheeled vehicle.
3. The entire area has been stripped of forest leaving poor regrowth that is now a patchwork of slash and burn subsistence crops. Cassava is the most common and some slopes are literally too steep to work standing. The people crawl to hang on. Soil erosion is happening on a massive scale.
4. Coconut groves are only found around the flat land and villages. There are not many compared to other parts of the island. Coffee, cocoa and nilam are grown as cash crops on land that is too steep or too poor for rice cultivation. Every possible area of land that is flat or gently sloping has been converted into rice terraces but these are few and far between. Much of this rice is rain fed rice and not irrigated so maximum of 1-2 crops per year rather than 3. No pesticides are used as the people cant afford them. Rice is fertilized with urea and the purchase of this is a big burden on the farmers.
5. Slopes are very unstable after the quake. There are many landslides visible and every ridge has huge crack running along the footpaths indicating that these will slide off as soon as heavy rain hits the area. Many irrigation ditches have been destroyed by the quake and pipes from springs have been damaged badly. The village we stayed in had no water nearby and no functioning toilets. Everyone was using the forest for ablutions and there is no water to wash afterwards. This is unthinkable for most Indonesians and there is now a huge risk of epidemic outbreaks due to direct contact with human waste. Pigs and dogs are not keeping up with cleaning up the supply.
6. Livestock numbers are very low. Very few buffalo, not many pigs and even chickens are scarce. I did not see any sago in the area.
7. The floods 5 years ago wiped out large areas of rice paddy and buried it under tons of sand. It is now too poor for intensive cultivation and used for beans or nilam. The markets are almost non-existent and produce very expensive and poor quality.
8. We heard stories from many people that indicate that villages have to bid for access to rice supplies handled by local authorities. We could not verify but there were few signs of WFP food in homes and the last distribution only reached 25 out of 121 families who lost homes. Assume that is what David was alluding to when he quoted Rp300,000 per Kg?? Nobody could pay that amount. That is the going rate for the village to pay to ensure that a little rice gets to everyone…. Or some.
9. We were the first westerners and the first medical team to every visit the village.
10. There were still many untreated wounds dating back to the quake and one person in critical condition. We arranged medivac by chopper but it was very hard to find a safe landing area without a house on it. The locals have no idea how to deal with a chopper landing and will rush too close out of curiosity more than anything else.
11. Crime is a way of life and stealing is so bad that there is no point in working hard to build up a surplus. It will be stolen before it can be used.
Most buildings still standing are dangerous and will have to be demolished adding to the work load. There are very few tents and those are only near the road. There were no tents in the hills and people were living in hovels made from scraps salvaged from wrecked buildings or still living in homes that have been braced to stop them collapsing. People are busy trying to deal with shelter and hardly anyone is working their land to grow food.
12. Expect the area to flood and to suffer massive landslides as soon as heavy rain falls. The last floods killed many thousands more than the quake.
Don’t have any answers yet but I can assure readers that the rice is not getting through to a lot of people who desperately need it.
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SAVED BY THE “WINDSHIP”
20 April, 2005
Half our medical team is back from the mountains west of Gomo exhausted by the 4 hour descent. The rest flew out on a Mercy chopper with a critically ill patient.
ELM volunteer doctor Aliza Weinman reported from the USN Mercy this morning. “Hulu, Hukkubah had almost 2 liters! of purulent fluid removed by chest tube from his left lung. Hhe is on strong antibiotics and is improving. We saved his life!”
Hulu (60) suffered a heart attack when his village split in two during the quake and his family feared he would not survive being carried down the mountain. They did not understand what had happened to him and nursed him as best they could for the past weeks. Pneumonia set in and his body functions started to shut down.
Our ELM/OB/NWM team were the first westerners to ever visit this remarkably remote village and there has been no local medical support to the area before our arrival. Dr Dave Lange took one look at Hulu and asked me to call the Batavia to arrange a medivac. After struggling with a non functioning sat phone for a while I took a walk to the highest point in the village. Looking east I saw the ocean and as my eyes followed the ridge I spotted a white dot in the deep V of the river gorge that is the only way into these highlands. Not believing my eyes I turned on my hand held VHF and called the ship. We were at least 30km inland and I had no real hope of reaching anyone. The village people around me jumped in amazement as Adam answered clear as a bell! VHF is line of sight and had the ship been anchored a few hundred meters north or south I would never have seen her and the radio would not have worked. The rest was easy. Formerly enlisted US Navy Coms operator Marshall Bailey took over on Batavia’s bridge and soon we radioed thru the lat and long using Dr Dave’s hand held GPS. Mercy confirmed that they would arrive at 6.45am if we could clear a landing area as the sun was setting and a night operation was deemed too risky.
Dr Rommy from OB at work
After our night clinic finished at 10pm, the village men took the only pressure lamp and started extending and clearing the only piece of flat land in the vicinity. Small trees were cut down and a rough rice bag H pegged out with bamboo spikes.
As we were about to climb into the traditional house’s loft, a vicious aftershock hit. The men grabbed a child each and sprung out the door with the women clutching babies close behind. We were much slower and we stumbled out in confusion leaving poor Hulu to watch as the structure swayed and groaned. Suddenly we understood why everyone wants to live in a tent. Until you feel the fear , see the buildings sway and hear the noise, it is all a bit academic.
We enlisted the help of Dr Laia who lives in Gomo to help us explain to the nervous village what we knew about earthquakes and aftershocks. We eventually managed to convince ourselves that it was safe to sleep upstairs and all of us climbed up the narrow ladder to retire on the floor boards. The village had no spare bedding, no water for washing and no toilets but we were past caring and did our best to sleep while Hulu coughed and moaned below us. It was a long night.
The chopper arrived on time but after a few attempts they winched down a crewmember and hovered about 10m above our now clearly tiny helipad. “Tail rotor is too close to the trees and the slope makes approach too dangerous” yelled the flight crew. We helped strap Hulu into a stretcher and braced against the rotor wash as one by one our team followed up the wire. In 30 minutes the chopper moved maybe 1 or 2 meters at most. An awesome display of skill.
Minutes after the chopper climbed and the blast died down the Kepala Desa ran to me and said “We must make a new place for the WindShip to dock! Please show us where is the best place” We walked to the edge of the small helipad and I was shocked to see that we were looking into the void left by a massive rift that stretched from the village way up into the mountains above us. I moved everyone back and wondered if the weight of a chopper might bring the whole area down in a land slide. We set off to look further up the ridge.
Hilimbaruzo is a deeply traditional kampung. It lies at the end of a blind ridge a 5km hike up from Gomo. It is one of 38 villages in the Kabupaten (subdistrict) that can only be reached by foot. The village dates back at least 150 years but now the residents are all convinced that they will have to move.
The March 28 quake dropped a 150m wide section of the village (Dusun Siraha) straight down at least 50m. Most of the trees are still standing but they are all skewed at crazy angles. A few houses lie almost intact but 7 were swallowed by the earth and there is no sign of them. Miraculously only 2 people died and they described their descent as slow enough for them to run to hang onto trees as the earth buckled and fractured all around.
The visual impact is difficult to capture with a camera. The rift subsidence extends several kilometers to the east and then curves past the village to the west. Sheer walls of gravel and clay overlook the jumbled landscape that has dropped vertically without any sign of a land slide or horizontal displacement. An unforgettable sight and one this community must now live with and reconcile with their future.
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FIRST IMPRESSIONS - GUNUNG SITOLI
20 April, 2005
"An old man wanders dazed through the rubble. He has part of a shop scale and seems to be searching for the rest of it. His eyes never stop wandering over the wreckage but there is no sign of focus on any particular point. He is barely aware of me and can only nod in answer to my questions"
From out at sea Gunung Sitoli looks like a green town in a lush tropical setting. Then as the distance closes, the jumble of fallen buildings and skewed roof tops starts to dominate. Up close it is worse than a war zone. The destruction on the flat city center is total. What still stands is cracked and precarious. After a while a pattern emerges and I start to talk to the locals about what happened the night of March 28th.
Muhammad Oman has his hardware shop door opened a crack and I ask him about buying a hand fuel pump. The one we have carried all the way from Banda Aceh for WFP has been stolen by the local boat crew who carried WFPs fuel and stores to shore... along with 3 drums of fuel! and I want to help them out buy getting one to replace it. They hired the boats but in the face of so much destruction there is no one to blame. Muhammad has no stock. "The shop next door was much bigger than mine but they are all dead". I ask if he lost family and why his shop still stands with most of its contents intact.
"I'm from Padang and my shop is small and only one floor. The other shops were owned by Chinese and were 3 or 4 stories high. They all sleep on the top floor or on the roof in hot weather. When the quake started they all ran downstairs to get outside. We were all afraid there would be a tsunami and we were all told to run to high ground if a big quake hit us"
"The Chinese always have three sets of security doors and when the power failed they could not unlock them fast enough. Almost all the bodies were found on the ground floor" (there are unconfirmed reports that 80% of the dead in GS were ethnic Chinese Indonesians)
"I ran for my front door but everything fell off the shelves and I could only get it open a crack before it jammed. I could see the houses going down all along the street one after the other. Like they had bombs under them... boom, boom, boom"
"Some shops like mine survived because their walls run East-West like mine. The waves shook us from East to West and I was thrown up in the air and kept falling down. Then the fires started all around. The flames lit up the town and my friends helped me to open my door and get out".
A few hundred meters away the ground rises and a low hill is the site of a Catholic school built by German missionaries 80 years ago. The old timber buildings are in perfect condition and packed full of families who have fled the flat land. Next door a modern concrete structure is standing without a crack. They are built on bed rock.
Gunung Sitoli in common with most Indonesian cities has been built on sedimentary reclaimed swamp land close to a river mouth. Rivers kill the coral that otherwise fringes the coast and so they are the only place boats can land.
One has to wonder what percentage of Indonesians live in houses built on low lying swampy land. In Padang the number must exceed 80% of the entire city’s population.
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NIAS - EASTER ISLAND SYNDROME
17 April, 2005
We ran an anchor watch last night to protect our beach skiffs. One local boat showed up at midnight but anchored nearby and made no trouble.
We know the UN and many NGOs are dealing with far more dangerous situations every day in other parts of the world. We dont feel that any of the anger we see is turning on us. The tactics the gangs use is to create a crowd, press in on the aid and then incite the onlookers to act badly.
The locals dont understand birth control or maybe they are encouraged against it by their churches. Will try to find out more about this. Families have 5,6 7 kids. The forest is gone and the consequences are inevitable.
Easter Island syndrome. Nias could not support its population before the quakes and now their options are running out. Sago is the staple and traditional diet. It could be the answer if cultivated rather than harvested wild. Bamboo could be grown for building rather than the trend over the past 20 years to use concrete. Fishing could bring the area income. The Nias are great seapeople.
There are sustainable options to get the population of the drip but right now we need to feed a lot of people and the answer is the army. TNI secured the coast of Aceh. They could make this easy for the NGOs and I'm sure someone will be working on this... well I hope someone is working on this. Will call a few people I know and see what can be done.
A few army uniforms would fix this. We dont need guns. We are mobilizing our diversion now and will update tonight.
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MERCY MISSION
16 April, 2005
Batavias medical team are sending a serious burns case into town and will try to get him referred to Mercy for skin grafts. Maybe we can ask them for help with charts at the same time.
Rorogo Odraha is an amazing man. He is caring for 2 daughters 4 & 6 years old after the death of his wife 4 years ago during child birth. He is a fisherman and a skilled chainsaw operator. He lost his chainsaw and his boat was damaged during the March 28th quake and tsunami at Tanjung Onolimbu.
He was my guide all day yesterday and we walked for miles. I asked about his limp and he did not want to talk much about it. After a while I noticed stains on his track suit and I saw he was in pain. He told me his story. 9 day after he lost his wife, he tried to fill a pressure lamp and picked up the wrong jerry can in the dark. It was his chainsaw fuel.It exploded buring him and several others. His legs were ablaze and he jumped into the swamp to put them out. Half his house was destroyed.
After months in hospital he was sent home. The burns just wont heal behind his knees and he has to work to support his family every day. New skin grafts are needed and then he will have to lay still till the grafts bond well.
UPDATE Saturday morning: We have just heard from ELM volunteer Marshall Bailey that Rorogo will be helicoptered to the Mercy today for his grafts!
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ONOLIMBU MEDICAL SITUATION REPORT - APRIL 13-15
By Aliza 16 April, 2005
Weighing anchor at daybreak on 4/13, the KM Batavia left Gunung Sitoli and headed for the Onolimbu area on Nias’ SW coast. Arriving just offshore from the village of Tagaule, we could see houses submerged in the water. It appeared that the land in this area had susided (as opposed to the area on the southwestern coast of Simelue, where coral reefs now bake above water in the hot sun). Damage here looked much worse than what we have seen elsewhere. When we took the motorboat to shore, our initial impressions were confirmed. The villagers spoke of the day the earthquake shook their village: “the earth cracked everywhere and water came up out of it, swallowing our village.” The foundations of many of the houses were several meters below the surface of the water, with only rooftops visible. Others flooded with every rise in the tide.
The two villages closest to the sea are Muslim while those further inland are Christian. The mosque in the village of Tagaule had collapsed, and it was a strange sight to see the ruins surrounded by wooden fishing boats and crabs crawling around its perimeter. The Kepala Desa (Village Chief) told us that the bridges in the area were down, so that they were only able to access the larger towns to get supplies and food by walking for 8km through the swamps. They had received some tents and a few supplies by helicopter, but were in great need of food, tools and other aid.
Buckets were filled to be used as family kits (utensils, soap, towels, pots, candles, etc) and we also distributed woks, lamps, kerosene, boots, tarpaulins, nails, wheelbarrows, and other tools. Meanwhile, our medical team set out on foot (in our knee-high boots) to hold a clinic. Carrying our supplies and equipment over 1 km on a muddy trail cracked in some areas from the fault and submerged in other areas, we finally arrived at a schoolhouse in the village of Botohainga. This would be our medical clinic and school for the next two days. The team consisted of OBI, Northwest Medical Team, Mirta Peduli, and ELM doctors and nurses. The villagers here had a wide variety of problems, including Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), wounds sustained during the earthquake, burns, and other more chronic conditions such as malaria, severe tophaceous gout and elephantiasis. One patient had such severe PTSD that he was practically catatonic. He was alert with a normal neurological exam, but would not utter a sound, stared straight ahead, and held his body in a rigid position. Several patients with infected wounds required debridement.
A total of 380 patients were examined and treated. One patient had severe 3rd degree burns covering the backs of both legs which he had sustained several years previously. The scar tissue was so extensive that it restricted his ability to walk. He had a large open wound on the back of his right knee where the strictures gave way as he straightened his leg. We arranged to transport this patient to Gunung Sitoli by motorbike in the hopes that the USS Mercy will be able to perform a skin graft to the back of his knees enabling him to lead a more normal life.
While the medical team was busy seeing patients and the distribution crew was giving out supplies, Julie and Evika set up class under a tent in the schoolyard. Refugee families had set up tents in the schoolyard and the classrooms had sustained some damage during the earthquake, so that school had not been in session since the most recent tragedy. Julie taught some English and had the children draw. Later, the sound of children singing filled the air. It was a joy to hear happiness in their voices once more. The next day, to our complete surprise, the classrooms had been cleaned and the children had returned in their uniforms. Classes were back in session!
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ELECTRIC LAMB MEDICAL REPORT 13 – 15 APRIL, 2005
16 April, 2005
Supporting Medical Agencies: Obor Berakat, Northwest Medical Team, Mirta Peduli, and St. Luke’s – Roosevelt Medical Center in New York.
Date: April 13 – 15, 2005
Location: Botohainga, Onolimbu area, Nias; Mobile non-permanent site
Availability of medical care: inadequate
Total Physician Providers: 8
Total Consultations: Outpatient – 380
Total Referrals: 1
Total Deaths: 0
Top 3 diagnoses; URI, Skin infections, Anemia
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MEDICAL TEAM REPORTS – SIMEULUE WEST COAST
15 April, 2005
Batavia’s medical teams can work jointly or can split up into 2 or 3 teams depending on the requirements in the field. It was not possible to provide advanced warning of our visit to the local authorities during our initial visits to these areas and it is reasonable to assume that the number of patients that did not hear in time will far exceed the number who could get to the clinics. Ideally Batavia should spend 3-4 days in each area to ensure that more remote villages are given sufficient time to travel to the clinic location or alternatively, to give our teams time to reach these remote areas.
ACCESS ISSUES
Each location visited presents specific challenges. All locations to date are isolated from 4 wheel transport. Motorbikes are the only option for towns on the mainland and the condition of roads is very poor especially after rain. Bridges are either destroyed by tsunami/quake damage or under construction with temporary coconut pole causeways limited to very light traffic. Many of the coconut causeways were damage in the March 28th quake. About 50% of smaller bridges have suffered abutment collapse resulting in very steep approaches and level changes of between 30cm and 60cm. Timber is available in some locations but not all making even motorbike travel dangerous in wet conditions.
Heavy surf restricts landings to a few beaches or coves. Uplift has complicated approaches to these locations and no revised marine charts are available. Each location requires a detailed survey and final approach by speed boat. Very few local boats remain in service after the Dec 26th tsunami.
No security issues encountered by our medical teams and the local community very appreciative of help offered. Rental of local vehicles is expensive. High prices paid by international aid agencies are 3 to 4 times local rates and it is a sellers market. Fuel prices are 200% of the official retail rate. (Rp5-6,000 per ltr).
PROGRESS – COMPLETION
Total catchment we have been asked to assess totals 24,000 persons. The villages included in the clinics to date total less than 6,000 so there is a pressing need to continue this work as soon as possible. A total of 1,310 patient consultations were completed and medications provided to most.
Medical Mission to Simeulue is 25% complete based on RI Govt requests. The remote Salang subdistrict has not been assessed yet.
SUPPORTING MEDICAL AGENCIES
Northwest Medical Teams International, Mirta Peduli, and Obor Berakat.
Total team:
2 Doctors NWM, 1 Surgeon’s Assistant, 1 Reg Nurses
5 Doctors OB, 2 Reg Nurse
3 Doctors MP, 1 Reg Nurse
Total 15 persons
In response to a request by the BUPATI of Simeulue, our teams have visited the following locations:
Date: 8 April 2005
Location: Palau Teupah, Simeulue. Mobile, non permanent site. Access by boat and foot.
Availability of medical care: inadequate
Total Providers: 9
Total Support staff : 6
Total Consultations: Outpatient—154
Total Emergent Referrals—0
Top 3 diagnosis: Upper Respiratory infections, Rashes, Anemia, Suspected Malaria
Date: 8 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Sumur (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and foot.
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 1
Total Consultations: Outpatient—survey, less than 10 persons
Total Emergent Referrals—0
Date: 9 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Kampung Aie (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and motorbike/trike & borrowed vehicle
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 9
Total Consultations: Outpatient—562
Total Emergent Referrals—0
Top 3 diagnosis: Gastrointestinal complaints, Rashes, Upper Respiratory infections
**Desa Kuta Baru
Desa Latitih
Desa Laureeh
Desa Aie
Desa Lemayang
Desa Kuta Padang
Date: 10 April 2005
Location: Catchment area** of Kampung Aie (including Puskesmask) Access by boat and motorbike/trike & borrowed vehicle
Availability of medical care: Adequate in town but transport very difficult for IDPs in more remote camps.
Total Providers: 9
Total Consultations: Outpatient—594
Total Emergent Referrals—0
Top 3 diagnosis: Anemia, Gastrointestinal complaints, Rashes
**Desa Luansurip
Desa Lambayah
Desa Latubang
Desa Seube
Desa Borengan
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ONOLIMBU - SUBSIDENCE or FAULT DISPLACEMENT
15 April, 2005
We cant comment yet on the submersion being a fault line displacement or subsidence due to soft liquid soils. I saw evidence of a fault line with a step of over a meter well inland.
Incredibly many traditional structures survived the intense shaking fairly well.
Even well built concrete buildings floated through it intact. The real problem is that the entire area is now not only vulnerable to future tsunamis but certain to flood badly.
The tsunami escape vehicles may be needed when the rains come and that is not acceptable. This area needs special attention
There are some interesting steel solutions that Blue Scope Lysaght have developed for flood prone areas. Floors float up the columns keeping everything dry then drop down for ease of access when the waters receed.
Any other ideas?
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BATAVIA AQUA
15 April, 2005
After overcoming some big logistics challenges, our watermaker was delivered aboard the surf charter yacht Sanssouci II via KL and then Langkawai. Electrical compatibility problems delayed final installation but last night we toasted "Batavia Aqua" and our fantastic donors. Thanks to Hamilton Miller LLC of Denver Colorado and especially the congregation of the Jubilee Fellowship Church in Littleton Colorado! Your efforts and the generous discount offered by Village Marine combined to deliver us 5 precious tons of drinking water per day.
ELM volunteer Christina Rambu Mbangi Ledu invited a group of Nias islanders to be first to sample the water after explaining that we pump seawater into the unit and convert it into freshwater.
"Manis! Manis! (sweet) was the verdict. The unit features heavy duty components and Village Marine are one of the largest suppliers to the US Navy. We the best available technology aboard and the unit will have a large impact on our ability to bring relief to remote areas in Nias and Aceh.
Five tons per day is more than the ship needs to remain at sea and the surplus can supply the needs of a village of several hundred people in areas where dry wells need rehabilitation. More importantly, we no longer need to load 90tons of water in port. Batavia can carry over 50tons of extra food supplies to remote areas and extend our field missions.
All aboard Bavavia join me in sending our heartfelt thanks to our donors, their staff, congregations and families. We salute Chris Ranken back in head office for coordination the freight and logistics.
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ONOLIMBU VILLAGE UNDERWATER
15 April, 2005
Have been in the Onolimbu area for the last two days dealing with an extrordinary situation.
Most of the coastal part of Tagaule village submerged during the quake. 58 homes underwater and the rest half buried in mud.
The locals describe great cracks opening in the earth as they ran from their buildings and water gushing up to engulf them. A mile up the coast no subsidence but a 2m high tsunami just after the quake that took out most of the beach front houses. Almost all houses along the coast have been destroyed and a town of 350 will have to be relocated as it is now completely submerged or at best a tidal zone. Some parts seem to have sunk over 2m, maybe as much as 3m.
Some villages just inland have had tents heli dropped but very little food. They do have sago and natural shelter materials but transport is very difficult. Nearest village with any kind of road is 8km through the swamps. River is silted up and blocked with trees that came down cutting that form of transport. No boats capable of the trip to GS left afloat.
We have done medical and most of the distribution now and will move south tomorrow.
Fear for these communities when the rains come. Area is dirt poor and the people very worn out and some seem quite desperate. These people are terrified of future tsunamis. They have nowhere to run. In one village they had made rough timber rafts. The photo shows the most advanced model built by the richest man in town. None of the others had drums in the corners. Tsunami escape vehicles. Heartbreaking to know that they would be useless yet the best that could be done. Feel we could provide a variation on the modified tents we built in Lho Kruet. With bigger drums and better platforms. Small investment would provide great peace of mind for these remote swamp villages.
We had some trouble at first with arguments among villages over our distribution plan but found a way to calm everyone down. Got all the villages to sit separately and then sing traditional songs in rotation. Worked a treat. Pass it on to others.
Where humor is impossible try music.
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MOUNT TALANG ERUPTS NEAR PADANG
13 April, 2005
After 40 years of dormancy, 2,896m Mount Talang erupted violently yesterday sending another wave of panic through Padang and the surroundings. Smoke and ash reached a height of 10,000m and the eruption was heard and felt over a wide area. Talang is a stratovolcano and experts say that there is a high risk of an explosive eruption. Villages in the vicinity of the mountain have been evacuated. No casualties have been reported. Mount Talang is about 35km SE of Padang and less than 10km from the city of Solok. Prevailing winds for this time of the year are from the SE to SW placing both cities in the ash footprint.
Many Padang residents have left the coastal capital over the past 2 days fearing a tsunami after the 6.8 quake on the 10th of April and those who are staying with family and friends in the Solok area must be wondering if anywhere is safe. Mount Talang initially released smoke and ash but last night lava flows were visible from the main highway between Solok and Padang.
Just north of Solok, Lake Sinkarak water levels have been dropping since the quake and there are serious concerns that the hydro electric power plants that tap the lake’s run-off may be affected.
Mid way between Solok and Bukittinggi, Mount Merapi (2,891m) is belching smoke and steam. Talang and Merapi lie on the same major fault line and clearly the recent Mentawai quake has reactivated these long peaceful volcanoes.
Economic activity in Padang has virtually ceased. Schools and Universities are closed, hotels are empty, Government offices are running on skeleton staff or shut. Many multistory buildings are considered unsafe as a result of quake and aftershock damage. Constant tremors associated with the volcanic activity now add to the tension.
Padang (750,000) has experienced multiple panics since the Dec 26th mega quake.
Rumors of rising water, false tsunami alarms and the more recent quakes have stressed the population and slowed construction projects. A large proportion of the population have headed inland to Solok and Bukittinggi where they are now living in the shadow of a chain of giant volcanoes.
SURF AID INTERNATIONAL MOVE IN
Dr Dave Jenkins called yesterday to ask if SAI could move their office to ELM headquarters in our home at Bukit Gado-gado, Padang. The structure of the hotel where the SAI office is located has been compromised by the quake and masonry wall panels are no longer bonded to the concrete structure’s frame. SAI staff Eric Lee described the problems in the old hotel structure over the phone and it is clear that the building is unsafe. Having just observed the ruins of similar structures in Gunung Sitoli and knowing where their hotel office is located, I urged them to move immediately. Earthquake engineers all agree that the vast majority of deaths and injuries from earthquakes are caused by bad buildings. The combination of inadequate foundations, sedimentary or reclaimed subsoil conditions and shoddy structures is particularly deadly.
Jane and I designed our mountain top home with earthquakes in mind. Built on bedrock, the split level house has an organic spiral plan form and the reinforced concrete structure is over-built. Only a week after we installed the glazing Padang was hit by the shockwaves from the devastating Bengkulu quake of June 04 2000. We were staying on the 7th floor of the Bumi Minang Hotel in Padang and the quake severely cracked the walls and broke plate glass windows in several areas. We rushed to the unfinished house and found no sign of cracking or foundation movement at all. Our Padang staff have confirmed that the recent quake caused no cracks or damage.
Most of our Padang staff and their families moved to the house the day of the quake and have remained there since. They will host SAI in our absence. (Jane is fishing in West Australia and I am on Batavia)
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SERIES OF QUAKES HIT NORTHERN MENTAWAIS
11 April, 2005
A 6.8 Quake at 5.29pm yesterday has been followed by a series of large aftershocks. All are centered between Sipura and Siberut in the Mentawai straits.
Padang is undamaged but in panic. There has been a mass exodus of the city and people are camping on high ground. We have heard no reports of damage in Mentawai but the phone lines are jammed and we have not been able to reach our Mentawai office.
Reports from Sanssouci II in South Pagai indicate little or no damage in that area but they have not been able to reach other charter boats in the Northern Islands yet.
Hopefully the release of energy in this series of quakes has spared Padang and the islands from a catastrophic single quake but clearly the fault line is letting go further and futher south.
2005/04/10 10:29 M 6.8 KEP. MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA Z= 30km 1.62S 99.56E
This information is provided by the USGS
National Earthquake Information Center.
(Address problems to: sedas@ghtmail.cr.usgs.gov)
These parameters are preliminary and subject to revision.
A magnitude 6.8 earthquake IN THE KEP. MENTAWAI REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at:
1.62S 99.56E Depth 30km Sun Apr 10 10:29:13 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Sun Apr 10 10:29:13 2005
Time Near Epicenter Sun Apr 10 17:29:13 2005
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SIMEULUE RAW
11 April, 2005
Simeulue must have been one of the world's most beautiful islands. Even after being slammed by a huge tsunami and wracked by two huge quakes, the beauty is returning like skin healing. But then there is the reef. The bleached remains of once stunning tropical coral gardens bake in the sun. It is the first thing that hits you and it is impossible to get away from it for long. This is an island and it yet it feels dislocated from the sea. What is wrong with the photo above? The footprints in the sand have not been washed smooth by the tide.
Try to imagine being hit by a tsunami and then by a huge earthquake just months later. I cant think of any precedent for this in recent history. How can people muster a smile after all this? Some cant. A shopkeeper tries to cobble salvaged timber together to repair is shanty shop after it was knocked down by the recent quake. He was clearly on the edge. We talked for a while and I handed him some cigarettes as we parted. He turned and resumed hammering with measured blows. No wasted movements. He has nothing left to waste.
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SITUATION REPORT
Wed 6th April, 2005
Medical team second visit to the Sinabang Hospital.
Surgical Kit from WHO is not urgently needed but they have space to store it in the tents. 10,000 person IDA medical kit should remain aboard as they have no space and have already received several kits. Will clear this with WHO BA.
Request from the Head of Dinas Kesehatan, Dr Tagwallah for Batavia to support medical assessment and field clinics in the following Subregions:
Teupah Barat, 18 villages 1,597 families 6951 population
Simeulue Tengah, 24 villages 2,211 families 9431 population
Salang, 16 villages 1,718 villages 7,912 population
Totals 58 villages 5,526 families 24,294 population
Only the southern 9 villages in Teupah Barat have received any medical help since the quake on the 28th March. Some non-medical assessment teams have reached the central coast on motorbike and report IDPs are all in hills and some have fractures and injuries that are not being treated.
Dr Tagwallah later met with the BUPATI, Drs Darmili and arranged for a formal letter approving our mission to the West Coast areas defined above.
<bupati_approval.jpg>
Save the Children took delivery of own material sent from Banda Aceh stores :
This aid includes:
140 Wheelbarrows
81 Tarps
300 Pickaxe
300 Mattock
600 Handle
300 Shovels
150 Boxes Detol soap
40 Childrens recreation kit
67 Floor mats.
Save the Children then re-assigned the following material for ELM to distribute to the West coast villages we are planning to visit. Material assigned:
3 Recreational Kits
18 Tarps
90 Boxes Detol soap (damaged by rain before loading Kurent Raya)
ELM assigned 25 PCI tents to Save the Children for distribution in Sinabang township.
OB, MPI & NWM Medical teams visited IDP camps on hill tops around town. General conclusions are:
- Health and nutrition generally adequate.
- Shelter issues are directly related to fear of a predicted tsunami.
- A proportion of wooden houses are repairable or habitable but the trauma of the quake will keep people from returning. April 19th has been quoted as a date after which people might return to their house. No one can say why that date is significant.
- Surviving masonry houses and structures are unsafe. Reinforced concrete beams and columns are damaged beyond repair at corners, post/beam intersections and cement block wall infill is cracked and unstable. Aftershocks are causing panels of masonry to fall and this will continue. These buildings must be demolished and that is a huge and dangerous task.
- The perception that the ocean has receded is the cause of great fear. It is very hard to explain the difference between what has happened on the 28th of March and what happened on the 26th of December. The Simeulue people have a strong oral tradition that dictates quake and tsunami response. This tradition is based on a catastrophic tsunami in 1907 that killed many thousands on the island. The reason that the Dec 26th death toll was so low in Simeulue is a direct result of this oral tradition or adat and now it is the reason that village people refuse to return to their villages and houses near the shoreline. See this as a major problem for health and relief workers to deal with.Tthe fact that the population were better prepared to deal with both the quakes and the tsunami has resulted in far lower death toll than on Nias. Damage to infrastructure in non-urban areas is very serious in Simeulue.
1800 Attended UN coordination meeting at Save the Children tent.
- Telkomsel service has resumed (no Mentari)
- SMAK have resumed flights to Simeulue twice per day.
- WFP 300tons of food will arrive 7th April
- Irish seismological stories are being taken seriously by all and emergency measures in place for all NGOs to evacuate to high ground.
- Several long span bridges are down in Alafan, Salang and at Dihit?
- CARE Water treatment equipment has arrived but no technicians avail to install yet. Hopefully tomorrow.
- General concern about West Coast area as no health work or supplies to that area since the quake.
NWM team examined the 4yo with the swollen head and determined that the child needed scanning and a shunt to drain pressure from cranial cavity. Beyond any facilities in Sinabang and not appropriate for US Mercy. Child will require a long period of outpatient monitoring and possibly a long initial observation period after the shunt is fitted and this all best done in Medan or other larger hospital. Decision should be made by the main hospital. Not a life threatening condition.
Surf Aid International took delivery of 20 PCI tents for distribution to North Simeulue villages.
Following a formal request by PEMDA, SATKORLAK took delivery of 25 CARE tents for distribution in Sinabang. A request for wheelbarrows and shovels was referred to Save the Children as they have a large stock and intend to support cleanup work in the town.
We experienced several strong aftershocks that shook the ship and caused wave action in the harbor basin.
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BATAVIA Sitrep for 04/05 April, 2005
07 April, 2005
General Comments:
After departing Krueng Raya volunteers spent a lot of time repacking aid material that arrived at Krueng Raya wet. Rain on the trip from Medan caused some delays and the last trucks arrived in the late afternoon. We had to load everything by hand and the dock workers went home at 1800. Last 30 tons of food and fuel in drums all loaded by volunteers. We worked all night and completed at dawn so everyone exhausted. Heavy swell after leaving BA and entering Indian Ocean made admin work impossible while underway. We had to secure computers and equipment on top deck. Work focused on building shelving for medical supplies and finishing installation of the watermaker.
SITUATION REPORT
Visit Pulau Raya 04 April 05. (to pick up ships speedboats left on the island after our last mission to the area)
Arrived 1700hrs, and sent one speedboat to Lho Kruet with team and one to the island.
FIELD NOTES
-Oxfam are offering cash for work to Pulau Raya residents without on-site supervision. Administration is from Lam No. Now 62 people on Pulau Raya (up from about 30) as a result of this and for the first time there are women and kids present. The atmosphere is totally different.
-Fishing is not good at the moment due to rough seas and cloudy water so one of the bagans has been dragged ashore to salvage useable parts as it was sinking. They need a chainblock to do the refurbishing work. Some work has started on the 10 bagans we have distributed materials for to date.
-Govt has announced that they will not rebuild the school on PR so the people have no choice but to join with other villages and move to the mainland to qualify for a permanent house. They are not sure how to make this work with their fishing lifestyle but don’t want to miss out on a permanent house buy insisting on rehabilitating the island. They agree that moving to the top of the hill South of Lho Kruet will take many months and maybe years to resolve given the state of the local administration and the lack of ground water on site.
-Everyone in the area felt the 28th March Banyaks quake but they did not run to the hills. There was high water the morning after the quake but not enough to worry anyone.
-After hearing about our destination, Pak Isa offered us his sledge hammers and bolt cutters to take to Nias/Simeulue and the locals all seemed very supportive of our mission to help there. They asked lots of questions about the conditions in Nias. We promised to replace the tools.
-Pak Isa has finished the shell of his house but his wife is pregnant and will remain in Lam No. Many other islanders are in a similar situation. The women don’t want to return to villages to live in tents without schools and health care.
-Army engineers have moved from the peninsular and left the area.
-No aid trucks have made it to Lho Kruet down the coast road yet. It is considered too risky after several incidents involving rebels inland from Ligan. TNI continue to use the road.
-In Lho Kruet, the womens bathing area started by ELM volunteers Phil, Deal and Lian has been completed under OB cash for work and it is working very well.
-Main water supply (installed by ELM volunteer Marty) is working well.
-The tent school now has a floor and rough salvage wood chairs and desks. The teacher welcomed ELM volunteer Julie back and asked when she could resume English lessons.
-We dropped off one 25lt jerry can of petrol and one of kerosene from OB stock on board. Food is ok with deliveries from WFP via heavy lift chopper.
-Medical needs are well taken care of by OB staff in Lho Kruet. We re-supplied the camp stock of medicines and infuse.
-While shore parties made quick evaluations, we deployed our landing boom and boarded 2 of our beach landing boats left on Pulau Raya last trip. The landing boat we left to service OB in Lho Kruet was disabled after a TNI wood boat moored to close and smashed the prop at the dock. Next time the boat and driver will stay on Pulau Raya at night. We replaced the damaged prop and boarded our 2 remaining boats.
-Departed Pulau Raya at 2030 on 4th April to proceed to Sinabang.
BATAVIA Sitrep Sinabang (Simeulue) 05APR05
Steamed at 10.5 knots all night and seas gradually moderating as we move into the protection of Simeulue island.
1430 Approached Sinabang harbor with caution. Tried to raise KM Mauli and the harbormaster on VHF 16. No reply. Navigation marks are damaged and some missing.
Observed drying reef everywhere with huge coral heads bleaching in the sun. Area is confirmed to have risen 1.65m at the airport in the center of the island. West coast has been reported as up to 3m and east coast looks more like 1m but hard to tell without tide info.
1550 Anchor Down. Launched one boat to take Team reps ashore. Pk Hasbi Machmud, Deputy Head of Simeulue parliament boarded with a local shipping agent to assist. Harbormaster office not functioning full time. Wharf congested and no space for us to unload. Problem caused by subsidence of the concrete pier and everything must be unloaded by hand so boats are alongside for long periods. We were asked to report to Bupati.
Note: Pasti satphones are out all day. Heard that the service was criticized in the Jakarta press. Most Govt authorities rely on Pasti system. No handphone service in Sinabang but the Telkom flexi system is working in some areas.
Met Bupati, SecDaerah and Wakil Bupati. Have population data and areas of concern. Roads on West Coast impassable for next several months by trucks or vans. Roads damaged and all bridges are 0.5 to one meter above road surface need fill and resurfacing but motorbikes can be lifted over obstacles. Bridge at Dihit is destroyed and there is a pontoon for river crossings. Power lines are down creating hazards. Difficult to carry supplies into this area. The area around Kampung Aie has 14 villages and total population is 9463 with 1930 families. Many buildings survived the tsunami but have now been destroyed or damaged beyond use by the quake. UN overflight yesterday but no-one clear on specific villages.
A 3m tsunami hit the west and south coast of Simeulue after the quake but damage has not been assessed yet. People are living on high ground and drinking/bathing water is a big problem for all. Rubble clean up in Sinabang is underway but will require a big labor force.
ELM volunteer Emmanuel was taking photos in the shell of Sinabang’s recently commissioned (just pre-tsunami) hospital when an aftershock hit. A door collapsed as he ran from the building giving him a nasty fright. The hospital is not safe and despite optimism of local authorities it may not be repairable. It has been abandoned and SMF are assisting by providing a tent clinic in the hospital grounds.
There is real danger of injuries during after-shocks as most standing buildings are very badly damaged. Even wooden buildings are leaning and have been wracked to the point of being dangerous. Some residents are insisting on living in damaged houses fearing looting and this could lead to serious injuries or deaths as quakes continue on a daily basis.
Bupati and his team visit Batavia and we explain our ability to distribute aid to areas cut off by road and bridge damage. Bupati agrees to waive requirement for all aid to enter Simeulue via “one gate” ie Sinabang harbor.
We are now authorized to distribute aid direct to villages but must report on locations, type of aid and dates to coordinate with others. Bupati worried about the Simeuleu Tengah sub district as they cant be reached by road and no NGOs or agencies have visited the area since the quake. Reports from the area are not good. Many buildings were spared by the Dec 26th quake and tsunami but now most buildings have been destroyed. 1,870 families are now displaced and there is an urgent need for tents and water. The Bupati is worried that many people may be injured but unable to reach Sinabang for treatment. He sited several people with serious fractures who were found in tents not far from Sinabang yesterday. They were worried about paying for medical help and so had used traditional splints and medicine and stayed in their tents. SAI doctors have reported cases of severe infection and gangrene being discovered by roving medics in the field.
Our medical team visited the hospital and the tent clinic. Only 8 patients observed and none in critical condition. The hospital administrator stated that they did not need our WHO supplies and suggested we attend the medical coordination meeting 0800 on the 6th to discuss the delivery. Team could not locate the WHO representative.
Simon from SAI arrived to borrow our satphone and after his 2 hour sit report was complete we discussed the best way to work together in the area. No sooner typed these words and the ship shudders and jolts with another aftershock. Will check to see where these two quakes occurred.
While I met with SAI team on Nauli, ELM volunteers Phill and Ali attended a coordination meeting at the Bupati’s office. Many NGOs requested tents from us. WFP rep Emma expressed concern that we are not proceeding to Nias to drop our 20 tons of food. Our team explain our WHO request to deliver medical supplies to Sinabang and need for tents here and all understood. 300 tons of WFP food will arrive on 6th in Sinabang and so our stock can be used for distribution to the West Coast. This food will then be replaced in Sinabang for delivery to other areas of concern. This may avoid the need for heavy lift helicopters to access the West coast.
Emma from WHO requests we medivac a 4yo child with head swelling and leakage to US Mercy ship. We contact Mercy and they confirm their location should this need arise.
We can not secure dock space and so have started unloading with our speedboats. We will drop tents and the bulk of the aid designated for Save the Children in Sinabang.
This aid includes:
Wheelbarrows
Tarps
Pickaxe
Mattock with handle
Shovels
Detol soap
Childrens recreation kit
Floor mats
Save the Children will leave soap, Childrens recreational kits and tarps for us to distribute to areas where they have not been able to reach.
Tomorrow will then proceed to the Kampung Aie area to drop supplies.
GENERAL OBSERVATIONS
The town streets seemed busy but most of the activity seemed to be people moving material from the port and up to the camps on higher ground. Very few houses show signs of recent use. The Bupati says that most people on the island are now living in the hills or at least on high ground. After the big quake on the 28th they saw the waters recede exposing big areas of reef. That was enough to convince everyone that a tsunami was on the way and in fact the West and South coasts experienced quite strong surges of up to 3m in height. The fact that the waters receded and have not returned has caused a lot of anxiety among the people here. They feel like they are in a suspended action tsunami that could come at any time.
The island is mountainous and most people were already camped on high ground in tents so the death toll was quite small. Just as in Nias, multistory concrete buildings have pancaked and that is where most of the 21 deaths occurred. Population of Simeulue about 10% that of Nias and so there were just a lot fewer major concrete structures in the towns. Timber buildings have been badly damaged and a large section of town burned down after the quake but we believe that the vast majority of deaths were in concrete structures. A big factor is that most people believe that worse is yet to come as a result of local media.
About a week before the quake Metro TV ran a story that quoted a CNN interview during which a US (or Australian)? seismologist predicted a major quake on the 26th of March. The Bupati told us that at the time he made a public statement stating that the prediction was nonsense. Two days later the big quake hit and now everyone is picking up on stories and rumors that are given added emphasis with every aftershock.
Metro TV have broadcast a story that a new mega quake will strike the Mentawais between the 4th and the 7th of April and the population on Simuelue is convinced that it will happen. The prediction is supposedly based on an interview aired on ABC & CNN last week during which a seismologist claimed to have data supporting his prediction.
The Bupati just shrugged his shoulders and said: “the people won’t listen to me if I say the danger is past. I was wrong about the last prediction and now I have to take the new warning seriously”
Surf Aid is reporting panic and the risk of crowds boarding in Gunung Sitolli wanting to vacate the island. Many Nias people reported to think that the island is going to sink. The Mentawais are experiencing a mass exodus with ferries running full every day. Padang is experiencing panics almost every night. Bupati has heard about this situation. (My Padang and Mentawai volunteers very worried)
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KM Batavia SITREP
05 April, 2005
Completed loading 0700, O4 April and departed Krueng Raya 0900.
Arrived Pulau Raya 1745 to retrieve 3 beach landing boats and to check on conditions in Lho Kruet (our primary area for support/relief aid the past 2 months)
Loaded beach boats and depared Pulau Raya 2030.
Heavy swell and considerable amount of floating debris in this area.
Steamed all night with extra lookout due to concerns re debris.
KM Batavia's current position is 003.31N 096.01E
Speed is 10.5knots with 0.5kn north set against us.
ETA off Sinabang is 1430hrs but may take time to approach harbor due to uncharted condition and uplift reports.
We will deliver a full IDA medical support kit from WHO to the hospital. Kit can cope with 10,000 people.
Will deliver tents, water and tarps and stand ready to engage in emergency work as required.
Have pumps, generators, tools to assist with urgent needs. Understand food not required and will hold to distribute in other areas.
Have body bags, gloves boots to provide to TNI and other emergency workers searching for remains in collapsed buildings.
Will continue to attempt to establish contact with SAI boats in this area.
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BATAVIA PUSHING SOUTH
4/4
We are powering through heavy swell on our way south to Sinabang. Last night our compliment of 41 volunteers jumped in and helped load 130 tons of aid material and medical supplies. The last truck was cleared at 7am this morning. We are now very well equipped and our 15 strong medical team is freshly stocked with 2 IDA kits (10,000 person capacity)
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BATAVIA LEAVING BANDA ACEH FOR SIMEULUE, BANYAKS & NIAS AREA
3/4
In response to the massive quake damage in the Simeulue/banyaks and Nias area, Batavia has been chartered by the newly formed Australian Indonesian Partnership for Reconstruction and Development (Aus Aid). Loading commenced in Sabang on April 1st with 5 tons of supplies of food and medicine contributed by Global Sihks, Waves of Mercy & Vidat Padma (Italian backed local NGO)
KM Batavia departed Sabang yesterday to load additional supplies in Krueng Raya 45 minutes East of Banda Aceh. On route to the port are 650 tents , 40 tons of food, water (Obor Berkat & WFP) and and extensive list of emergency equipment provided by AIPRD / Aus Aid .
WHO have supplemented existing medical supplies with a 1 ton IDA medical kit and we will also deliver a 1 ton IDA supplementary kit to Sinabang hospital on their behalf. Final loading will be complete today with departure scheduled for this evening.
Obor Berkat and North West Medical have joined with medical teams totaling 4 GPs and one surgeon plus a medical support team of 15. The medical team is also backed up by 20 other aid workers with experience on the NW Aceh coast. Project Concern, Obor Berkat and PADHI are all providing support staff who can play a dual role to support emergency work or supervise distribution of food, water and shelter aid.
After dropping the urgently needed WHO supplies in Sinabang the Batavia will proceed to villages and towns along the coast of Simeulue to assist in areas beyond the reach of conventional shipping and aircraft support.
On board are 4 fast beach landing boats capable of carrying over 1 ton of supplies or people ashore to river mouths and sheltered beaches and landing them where conventional methods can not be contemplated. Based on our 2 months experience in NW Aceh, the most effective way to distribute aid is by using the beach landing boats combined with sidecar motorcycles and trail bikes to carry medical teams and emergency supplies ashore and then inland to villages in the mountains or along sections of coast where landing is impossible. In this way we can bring aid to villages and towns in a 15km radius of our mother ship. We can also link up with other aid boats in the area to resupply them and so extend the reach of aid over a much larger area.
Emergency equipment on board includes: chainsaws, boltcutters, sledge hammers, stone chisels, grinders, jacks, tripods, generators, power pumps, ropes, chainblocks and a full complement of hand tools.
A 5 ton per day watermaker will be used to fill jerry cans to distribute in areas where drinking water is contaminated.
Lumber, tarps, roofing iron and nails will be distributed to establish shelter to complement 5 person tents. Cooking sets, hygiene sets will complement food rations. Any NGOs already in the area will be fully supported and entrusted to distribute the aid efficiently and women and children will receive aid on a priority basis. Handtools will be prepacked into bundles designed for both emergency work and for the preparation of shelter. In all cases we will seek out community leaders to ensure that aid is distributed fairly and without gender bias.
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MOVING SOUTH?
3/4
A 5.6 quake hit at 3am this morning and its location may indicate that the fault line is unzipping faster than anyone expected.
This trend was raised at an OCHA meeting yesterday in Banda Aceh. OCHA pushing this issue with Government agencies but there has not been any concrete action yet. How long do we have before the next big one? Are Padang, the Batus and the Mentawai Islands prepared? Our partner Bangun has just reported that Mentawai villages have cleared paths to the nearest high ground but Padang city has a road system that runs North South along the coast and the seabed profile and low hinterland make it particularly vulnerable to a tsumami. It is now clear that last weeks mega quake in the Banyaks did generate a tsunami and parts of West and South Nias were severely damaged. The location of the epicenter outside the shallows around the Banyaks saved the Sumatra coast line but next time we may not be so fortunate.
STOP PRESS 6.1 HAS JUST HIT THE SAME AREA NEAR TELOS 7am (map not yet avail)
2005/04/01 20:32 M 5.6 NIAS REGION, INDONESIA Z= 30km 0.40N 98.09E
This information is provided by the USGS
National Earthquake Information Center.
(Address problems to: sedas@ghtmail.cr.usgs.gov)
These parameters are preliminary and subject to revision.
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake IN THE NIAS REGION, INDONESIA has occurred at:
0.40N 98.09E Depth 30km Fri Apr 1 20:32:38 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Fri Apr 1 20:32:38 2005
Time Near Epicenter Sat Apr 2 03:32:38 2005
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PATTERN EMERGING?
30/3
As the plates let go further South the question arises.... will the fault line let go all the way down the island chain. The experts say it will and after this latest quake it could be sooner rather than later. Maybe it is time for some proactive action to protect communities in the Telos (Batu) Islands, Siberut and the rest of the Mentawais. The image below shows how extensive this latest shift has been in the Simeulue and Nias area. Will the movement keep going south? How long before the next part of the fault line lets go?
Kerry Sieh, professor of geology at California Institute of Technology, has been studying the region for nearly a decade.
Last July he became so concerned at the likely massive loss of life that he printed and distributed 5,000 posters and brochures around some of the islands later hit by the earthquake.
He addressed church congregations and schools to tell people what to do in an earthquake. His main advice was for people to live away from shorelines...... (from timesonline)
Read the full article - http://www.timesonline.co.uk/article/0,,18690-1422669,00.html
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QUAKE UPDATE
30/3
Gunung Sitoli port and airfield were damaged but they have been patched up and can handle light traffic now.
3m high ocean surge hit Singkil port and many homes and buildings have been damaged by the quake.
Tidal surges reported in Padang but no damage.
Banyak Islands & south end of Simeulue reported as having been uplifted by 3m (unconfirmed)
All houses on Hinako islands have been destroyed.
Nias has a population of over 600,000 with many hundreds of villages inland. The population is mostly involved in subsistence agriculture, most forest has been cleared and the area suffers from regular floods and epidemics. Malaria is endemic and very wide spread.
Simeulue has over 60,000 people and the largest town, Sinabang has been reported as very heavily damaged.
Death toll now likely to be lower than at first expected. Around 500 are injured.
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UPDATE FROM SABANG:
30/3
Late last night the team felt the rumble of the magnitude 8.7 earthquake while aboard Batavia alongside in the port of Sabang. The effects of the quake were unclear to the group until early this morning. Phil, Deal, and Mike were aboard the Batavia during the quake while fellow team member Marshall was in Banda Aceh in meetings and the team could not contact him after the quake.. After a few anxious hours, a message made it through to the ship. Marshal was safe but he spent a sleepless night along with the entire population of Banda Aceh city.
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MASSIVE QUAKE HITS BANYAKS, NIAS & SIMEULUE
A mega quake has caused extensive damage on Nias with up to 75% of the
main town Gunung Sitoli reported as suffering heavy damage. The death
toll is rising with latest estimates between 1,000 and 2,000 but the
dispersed population and difficult terrain make these numbers very
unreliable.
Obor Berkat is flying a chopper and a fixed wing to Nias now to try to
evaluate medical needs and other requirements. We are working on tents
and shelter requirements. (Batavia and crew are safe in Sabang)
2005/03/28 16:09 M 8.7 NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA Z= 30km 2.08N
97.01E
This REVISED information is provided by the USGS
National Earthquake Information Center.
(Address problems to: sedas@ghtmail.cr.usgs.gov)
These parameters are preliminary and subject to revision.
A magnitude 8.7 earthquake IN NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA has occurred at:
2.08N 97.01E Depth 30km Mon Mar 28 16:09:36 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Mon Mar 28 16:09:36 2005
Time Near Epicenter Mon Mar 28 23:09:36 2005
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MINI PROJECT PROPOSALS - SAMPOINIET AREA
The Sampoiniet area of West coast Aceh lost almost 30% of its population in the Dec 26th quake and tsunami. (13,992 now 10,941). 16 out of a total of 38 villages have been totally destroyed with only damaged foundations to indicate where busy townships once stood.
The area was serviced by a single coastal highway that has been largely submerged by continental subsidence. Over 20 major bridges have been destroyed and there are no port facilities or even well sheltered landing areas. There is no power grid functioning, no telephones and water supplies have been heavily damaged by salt infiltration. The district has no airfields and road reconstrucion has encountered major problems that will mean the area remains isolated for the duration of the coming wet season.
SHELTER: Permanent housing will take many months to build and in some cases construction can’t start till the government prepares new town sites. There is no sign that the public works department has any capacity to do the earthworks/water supply/ roadworks at this time. While permanent home building can now start in some of the town sites further away from the coast, the worst impacted communities are going to be the last to get decent housing. There is an urgent need for an interim solution for those who are now going to face the wet season in crowded tents and hovels.
ELM's simple proposal deals with these needs.
Most IDPs are housed in UNHCR tents that are 3m x 4m on plan and have steep pitched double canvas roofs. Recently some more enterprising residents have modified tents by building a wood frame and a raised wood floor. Doors and windows have been installed and the resulting structure is dry cool and much more spacious. Raising the floor eliminates the need to do extensive drainage works and these modified structures can be built on top of existing foundation slabs. Tents don’t work well on slabs so this will open up more space for the returning residents to use. Sloping sites will not require earthworks as the poles can be cut to different lengths to deal with more difficult terrain.
A salvage wood frame annex for cooking should be added using a corrugated iron roof so that residents can use the small tent for living and sleeping.
The cost per tent is estimated as follows:
10 sheets 9mm WBP plywood @ $10 = $100
8 sheets 2.4m x 0.75m corrugated roof iron @ $5 = $ 40
2 kg assorted nails @ $9 = $ 18
2 kg assorted bolts @ $12 = $ 24
1 kg zinc coated roof screws @ $18 = $ 18
TOTAL = $200
There are currently about 100 tents in the Lho Kruet and up to 100 more in the villages in the vicinity. This proposal will target 100 tents and requires $20,000 in direct funding for kits.
Rather than purchase and ship lumber for the tent frames, we recommend the purchase of 10 chainsaws to convert fallen timber into planks and posts. The preferred model and brand will cost about $1,000 = $10,000
Fuel, oil and repairs to saws, spare chains etc will require an estimated $2,500
Total project budget is $32,500 for the first 100 tents. This project could roll into a 500 tent total requirement in stages.
The anticipated needs for the Sampoiniet area require further research but as a guide, there are over 1,300 families who have lost homes in the area. There are other tent designs but the basic package can be used to make similar modifications to each type.
Self help modified tent on old foundations in Lho Kruet. This tent was modified using OB/ELM tool kits and chainsaws. Many families are not as self reliant and the project proposes the use of WBP plywood for floors and walls. Planks can be used to clad the iron roofed annex.
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GOOD FRIDAY SHAKE UP
The epicenter was about 60nm north and some of the crew thought we were unloading something heavy. This time the shaking went on for some time. An uneven swell action caused us to roll quite a bit and there was visible wave action along the North side of Pulau Raya. The residents in the camps stayed calm and nobody ran for high ground. A few days ago residents were roused from their beds in Calang by stories of tsunamis hitting Meulaboh and big quakes in Bali and India.... just stories but it kept the town up all night on the hill tops. The trauma is just below the surface and there is so far to go to bring back a sense of security to people on this coast.
A magnitude 5.9 earthquake IN NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA has occurred at:
5.52N 94.38E Depth 43km Fri Mar 25 01:04:53 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Fri Mar 25 01:04:53 2005
Time Near Epicenter Fri Mar 25 08:04:53 2005
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FLOODS HIT LIGAN
Sunset on the 21st produced a huge rainbow over Lho Kruet. Next morning the rains came down in earnest. We had been watching a small tropical depression of the coast of Simuelue and our new Argoss www.argoss.nl wind/swell forecast warned us that we were in for some wind rough seas.
Thanks to Argoss for their generosity in sponsoring this state-of-the-art service and a special thanks to Jeremy Goring of www.wave-finder.com for spending hours sourcing and arranging this vital donation.
The rain up in the hills was torrential and LIGAN flooded. Two bridges were washed out on the Lho Kruet to Ligan road and the ACF team had to be choppered out today after being stranded by the flood waters. This was not a big storm by West Sumatran standards and river levels on the coast did not rise much so this is just a taste of what will happen with prolonged rain. We will survey the road today to see what damage was done.
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MARTY'S WATERWORKS
Marty Martin is a man of many talents. His wife Laurie says he is mainly good for cleaning up things and that she wishes he would not..... but out in Aceh, Marty was totally in his element. Back in the US he works in the construction business and the water problem in Lho Kruet was the job he wanted to get on with.
Despite supply mixups and lots of disruptions from water starved troops who wanted to bathe where Marty wanted to work, the job got done. Life in camp took a turn for the better with an end to waiting for hours in line to get enough to wash.
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KRUENG NO DETERMINATION
The tiny village of Krueng No lost 62 out of their pre-tsunami population of 332. They lost every building and have only a strip of asphalt and some broken foundations to remind them of what was once one of the most scenic small towns on the Aceh coast.
The population are determined to re-build in the same area. For now they are making great use of the zinc donated by Sam Schultz and the chainsaws donated by Obor Berkat. Fallen timber is being cut to make planks and posts and some rough barracks will be ready by next week for more residents to return. Pk Yusuf has borrowed stock from a friend in Lam No to stock the first shop in town. He has fruit trees growing, flowers in pots and a new chainsaw. He said he is worried about paying back the money for the stock but he feels good about having a roof over his head and a roll to play in rebuilding the economy of the town.
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CALANG VISIT - IRC SUPPORT - Paul Vannitsem
We had to pick up 100 units of sanitation packs, kitchen packs and toilet seats for the Lho Kruet townsite at the International Red Cross center in Calang, a town 30 kms south on the west coast.
Therefore, we took a small local boat hired by Obor Berkat and started a three hours journey on a sunny morning. We arrived lunch time in the completely destroyed town. Many NGO's have set up there base here: IRC, Oxfam, ACF, UN, WFP and others.
Even though the city is still covered with rubble, tents shelter over three thousand people and reconstruction has started. While the loading was handled by the OB boat crew, we had a chat with the ACF people in town, who seem interested in the Batavia's transport facilities. They confirmed the road to Meulaboh was already in service, but recent high tides combined with flooding had already threatened and halted transport. When we came back to our boat, we were not only surprised how much could be loaded on this boat, but the weather had changed and a rough sea was expected on our trip back. We were not disappointed. Three and a half hours of constant fright fearing we would be all be lost in sea! We arrived finally, in the black of night, constantly illuminated with lightnings, very very relieved to be safe at home.
Today we said goodby to Paul. He has been on board since Padang and must return to Belgium to see his daughter. Paul has been great company and much more than a volunteer for ELM. See you soon mate! (ED)
(ACF have just confirmed that no helo drops have been authorized for LIGAN to date)
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COALITION DOCK
Chris Russell has built more jetties and docks for his fishing boats than he can remember but this was the first time he has used fully grown coconut logs for the structure. "We'll need those Sepos for this" (Sepo is Aussie slang for Septic Tank, and that rimes with Yank) Enter our newest volunteers from the US.
With due humility they call themselves "The American Team" Phillip, Marshall, Michael and Deal have worked extremely hard under Chris's direction and the West camp on Pulau Raya now has a funky but servicable jetty for loading construction materials.
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CAN ANYONE HELP OUR WEBMASTER?
No, Dave is not living in a tent because he wants to empathize with Aceh tsunami victims. He has just moved to Melbourne and is house hunting. Maintaining our site is a big job and David has donated his time and all on-line costs to ELM. This is a huge effort and we in turn want to help him find somewhere to live, or find him a good inner city rental. Does anyone need a skilled graphic designer at competitive rates? David's work is exceptional. If you have any leads please call David on 041 799 4366 or mail him at dave@grandflavour.com
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WAKE UP CALL
After a week without airconditioning the freon finally arrived yesterday evening and last night everyone stayed up late to celebrate. Our best nights sleep for a while ended this morning with the ship shaking like a wet dog acompanied by a rumbling sound:
Extract from the USGS email alert just in:
A magnitude 5.6 earthquake IN NORTHERN SUMATRA, INDONESIA has occurred at:
4.86N 95.03E Depth 43km Thu Mar 17 23:20:47 2005 UTC
Time: Universal Time (UTC) Thu Mar 17 23:20:47 2005
Time Near Epicenter Fri Mar 18 06:20:47 2005
What a way to wake up! Just a reminder of where we are and what happened here on the 26th of December. The quake was about 15nm from Pulau Raya. There was no damage and no panic on the island. No disturbance of the sea observed so just anonther of the hundreds of aftershocks that have rocked the area since the big one let go.
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Ice Works
One nights catch nets over 100kg of fish. The combination of nets and ice boxes was all that was needed to to start up the fleet. With prices in LAM NHO ranging from Rp15,000 to Rp25,000 per kg, a nights work can yield up to Rp2 million rupiah.
After dropping off a gift of 5kg for the Batavia, these excited fishermen could not wait to head up to the fish market in Lam Nho to show off their catch.
The whitebait platforms are catching well and these beautiful shrimp and squid are plentiful at the moment.
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Instant School
One of the main reasons the village people have been reluctant to return to Lho Kruet is the lack of schooling for their children. About 2 weeks ago a large wood frame tent was erected but it stood empty till Batavia returned. Liane, Will, Laurie, Rina, Murni, Una and Devi decided to see if they could get a school going so they spread the word and gathered a handful of kids on the first morning after we arrived. Within an hour 26 children were busy drawing and singing. After a week there are over 40 children attending and our instant school has adopted Liane as the headmistress.
On day three the children got busy preparing thank-you posters for the many schools, organizations and stores around Comox in Canada that donated money and material for Lho Kruet school supplies.
Hope we have not left anyone off the list but if we have, please let us know:
| Ballantrae Public School Castlemore Public School Coronation School Comox Valley School Port Dover Public School Greensborough Public School Franklin Street Public School James Robinson Public School Humber Summit Middle School The Harris Clinic Coppard Glen Public School Skylink Aviation Punzo's Restaurant Ramer Wood Public School |
Store Image Inc |
Our heartfelt thanks to everyone who donated. Special thanks to Raza Khan from the Canadian Relief Organization for coordinating this wonderful community effort.
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The Power of Soccer
A few weeks ago children would not venture down from the hills. Now they head to the beach for our regular sports program. Rina, Will, Una, Devi and the Batavia ships crew are welcomed by a growing group every afternoon.
No fear of the water on the faces of these kids.
Rina, Ibu Is's daughter has made a lot of new friends in town. She is missing school back in Padang but teaching school in Lho Kruet! Rina helps the nurses with malaria tests and backs up mom in the galley. Bu Is is adamant that she is getting the best education possible here on the the Batavia.
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Ligan Impressions
Devi came along with some special Canadian Barbie dolls and there are some very happy little girls in Ligan. We asked if longer dresses were in order but the general consensus was "tidak apa" .... no problem.
Dr Dave and Devi find a case of Malaria and treat 43 year old Yusuf who has been sick for months with relapses. As we moved from house to house, more people arrived reporting sick family members. The last clinic was a week ago and that was for one day so many people missed it.
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Road Realities
Our beach landing skiff loaded with 1.2tons of cement heads for Lho Kruet landing.
Lots of redevelopment decisions are being based on the assumption that the new temporary road will soon open up the west coast for reconstruction. It will while the rain holds off. A few weeks at best and that is the earliest it will be open if all goes well.
Our medical team finally were able to arrange transport and permission to visit LIGAN on Monday. The army engineers have repaired several bridges and widened and graded what will now be part of the new west coast road. On the way up it was steep and rough but passable for normal vehicles. Then we had a light rain shower. 30 minutes of light rain from a small thunderstorm.
Nothing could move! The road turned to a slide and it was impossible to go up or down hill! This road has just been upgraded and it has not been used yet! After rain and some heavy traffic the mountain sections will become impossible even for 4x4 vehicles.
We waited till the sun came out and the road dried off. It was still very dangerous but passable on motorbikes. A 2 wheel drive car would have had no chance. No trucks could move.
Now for the bad news. A lot of the road is across the swamp land and the swamps are 1.5m lower than before the tsunami. The tsunami has trashed the vegetation on the flood plains so run-off will be unrestrained. The engineers building the road have confirmed that these sections of road will flood badly.
The rivers are all full of debris and mud from the tsunami. The coast has dropped 1.5m ant this combined with heavy rain will cause huge expansion of the coastal flood plains. Evidence to date clear in BA and Meulaboh after each heavy rain.
Batavia and ships/boats are going to need to be here until the govt can build a real road at higher elevation and with good paving. That will take years because so much of the new road is actually using the old road. Hundreds of kilometers of that is now well below the elevation needed for an all weather coastal highway.