Three Warships Dock in Banjarmasin to Evacuate Haze Victims
26 October 2015 10:22 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Three Indonesian warships have docked in Banjarmasin's Port of Trisakti in South Kalimantan. Banjarmasin's Navy Base Commander, Col. Haris Bima Bayuseto, said that KRI Banda Aceh-593, KRI Teluk Jakarta-541 and KRI Dr. Soeharso, had docked on Sunday evening, October 25.
According to Haris Bima, only KRI Dr. Soeharso is still anchored at the estuary of Barito River, and that he has no knowledge whether the ships are carrying the 1,000 units of air purifier that the government has promised to distributed in Banjarmasin. "I don't know because we have yet to unload the ships," said Bima after he welcomed the ships on Sunday.
The Indonesian Navy (TNI AL) have previously said that nine warships will be stationed to evacuated the haze victims across Sumatra and Kalimantan - each with different functions and use. KRI Banda Aceh and Dr. Soeharso are landing platform docks which will be used as floating hospitals - both of which have be designated to be used to help haze victims in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
TNI AL will also deploy Marine Corps to fight existing fire spots on fields and forests across affected areas. Currently, Marines are known to have been stationed in Sumatra and Kalimantan.
DIANANTA P. SUMEDI
