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RI confirms safety of 17 citizens in Nepal
The Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday the safety of 17 Indonesian nationals from the 34 that are believed to have been in Nepal when an earthquake measuring 7
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T
he Foreign Ministry confirmed on Sunday the safety of 17 Indonesian nationals from the 34 that are believed to have been in Nepal when an earthquake measuring 7.8 on the Richter scale hit on Saturday.
'We have received confirmation that 17 Indonesians are safe,' said the ministry's director for the protection of Indonesian nationals and entities abroad, Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, adding that the ministry was awaiting confirmation on the remaining Indonesians.
According to the ministry, there are currently 18 Indonesian nationals residing in Nepal while another 16 are in Nepal as visitors, including those currently on an expedition to hike Mount Everest.
The Indonesian government, which only has an honorary consulate in Nepal's capital, Kathmandu, would continue to monitor progress and coordinate with local humanitarian aid initiatives, Iqbal said.
'We don't have an official Indonesian Embassy in Nepal, so the government's rescue efforts will be under the auspices of the embassy in Dhaka, Bangladesh, and the Kathmandu honorary consulate,' he told reporters in a statement on Sunday.
According to the government's current estimates, the earthquake had taken the lives of almost 2,000 people, with jolts felt as far as Bangladesh, Pakistan and India.
Iqbal said that the ministry had difficulty communicating with the team in Kathmandu as a result of the destruction caused by the earthquake. He said that search and rescue efforts were being pursued by national and international humanitarian agencies on the ground in Nepal.
Foreign Ministry spokesperson Arrmanatha Nasir added that the ministry would continue to update the list of Indonesian citizens that it had to get a hold of.
For those who need information about friends or family members in Nepal, the government has set up a hotline with Hernawan Bagaskoro Abid, a ministry official, as a contact person.
'We'll continue to update the numbers and status of our citizens as efforts to contact those who are still missing,' said Hernawan, who can be contacted at (021) 3813186 or +6281284794696.
The government has expressed its condolences for the disaster in Nepal and has promised to provide medical assistance and disaster relief in the form of medical staff, SAR initiatives, as well as rations, blankets, tents and medicine.
