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11 Mt. Sinabung evacuees die, hundreds fall ill
The Karo regency administration in North Sumatra reported that in the past two months 11 evacuees have died while hundreds more have fallen ill following the eruption of Mt
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he Karo regency administration in North Sumatra reported that in the past two months 11 evacuees have died while hundreds more have fallen ill following the eruption of Mt. Sinabung.
Most of the dead evacuees suffered various complications such as breathing difficulties, depression, asthma and hypertension. The first recorded death was on Nov. 23 while the last death was on Dec. 28.
The Karo administration said the number of evacuees being treated at hospitals had been reduced to 30 patients while there were over 500 outpatients.
Regency administration spokesman Jhonson Tarigan said the sick evacuees were in appalling conditions and that their physical conditions were deteriorating due to their various illnesses.
He said the patients suffered from different problems such as pulmonary disease, breathing difficulties, stomach ulcers and hypertension.
Jhonson said the Karo regency administration would still monitor the evacuees' health conditions, especially those who were being treated.
'It is the responsibility of the regency administration to provide them with health care, food and other needs,' Jhonson told The Jakarta Post on Monday.
Meanwhile, Mt. Sinabung eruption emergency response commander, Lt. Col. Meyer Putong said the number of evacuees had increased to 5,946 families or 18,821 individuals.
He said the evacuees were from 22 villages and two hamlets within a 5-kilometer radius of the volcano's crater.
Among the evacuees, he added, there were 1,177 elderly people, 602 infants and 178 pregnant mothers, all of whom are considered vulnerable.
Meyer, who is also the Tanah Karo Military District Command (Kodim) chief, said the evacuees were housed at 31 different disaster shelters, such as GBKP Payung hall, Tanah Karo Kodim Hall, Jambur Natolu, Kabanjahe Grand Mosque, Los Tanjung Mbelang and Los Tiga Binanga.
'All evacuees are still not allowed to return to their homes because of the volcano's threat alert status is still at the highest level,' Meyer said.
As of noon Monday, Mt. Sinabung was still spewing ash between 500 to 1,500 meters toward the south and east with continuous tremors.
In a separate development, a helicopter owned by Efarina Etaham Hospital crashed in front of the hospital in Berastagi.
The crash killed one helicopter technician while four other people onboard were reportedly critically injured.
The technician who was killed was identified as Arif Setiawan while the injured were identified as pilot Budi and passengers Torang Simanjorang, Yahya Sembiring and Nilawati Ginting.
Jhonson said the helicopter accident was not related with Mt. Sinabung emergency response.
'The helicopter was about to take off from the hospital carrying the hospital's executives,' he said.
'The cause of the accident is still under investigation.'
North Sumatra Disaster Mitigation Agency (BPBD) chief Asren Nasution said the helicopter belonged to Simalungun Regent JR Saragih, who also owns the hospital.
Asren confirmed that the regent was not onboard the ill-fated helicopter.
Air Transportation director general Herry Bakti Gumay, however, said the Bell 206 helicopter was operated by Derazona Air Service, which was rented by the hospital.
'The helicopter departed from Simalungun at 10:05 a.m. and arrived in Berastagi at 10:34 a.m.,' he was quoted by tribunnews.com
'The helicopter returned at 10:41 with three passengers. When it was taking off, it crashed. That's the
condition.'
