Rescuers are on their duty in Central Sulawesi (Source: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) - The Indonesian Government has decided to stop searching victims of the deadly earthquakes andtsunami in Central Sulawesi from October 11.
According to spokesman of the country’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency(BNPB) Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, as of 1:00 pm of October 9, the death toll climbedto 2,010, while 10,679 people were injured and 671 others are still missing.
The earthquakes and tsunami damaged a total of 67,310 houses, and 82,775 peoplehave to be evacuated.
Sutopo stressed that stopping the search for victims does not mean stopping therelief activities.
The Indonesian authorities have determined to focus on evacuating, arranging residenceand and providing treatment for injured victims.
Thanks to efforts to deploy emergency relief activities, social conditions in Sulawesihave been improved, with the electricity and telecommunication systems havebeen mostly restored.
As many as 14 hospitals are operating, while afloating and a field hospital were opened in Pantoloan.
Many countries and international organisations have sent disaster responseexperts, doctors and goods to support Indonesia.
Central Sulawesi will be moved from emergency response to reconstruction. It isexpected to take two years to implement the reconstruction plans here.
Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamisbecause of its location on the "Ring of Fire", an arc of volcanoesand fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
A series of earthquakes in July and Augustkilled nearly 500 people on the holiday island of Lombok, hundreds ofkilometres southwest of Sulawesi.
In December 2004, a massive 9.1-magnitudeearthquake off the northern Indonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunamiacross the Indian Ocean countries, killing 220,000 people in 13 countries,including more than 168,000 in Indonesia.–VNA
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