Rescue Team Working Carefully to Save Possible Quake Survivors
3 October 2018 10:38 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) members in the earthquake-stricken area of South Palu, Central Sulawesi, are faced with a daunting task of having to find survivors under the unstable rubbles at a location where the Roa-Roa Hotel stood tall.
These conditions pose high risks considering that one mistake can lead to a fatal disaster that threaten the lives of both possible survivors and Basarnas members.
According to a Basarnas member Edi Suriawan, he often faces a situation where he must evacuate any living survivors or retrieve bodies under building rubbles despite fears of being a victim himself. “It is something special when we discover a living survivor,” said Edi to Tempo in between rescue missions.
Today marks the fourth day Edi worked together with other SAR members in the Roa-Roa Hotel evacuation attempt. The eight-story hotel collapsed when the magnitude 7.4 earthquake and tsunami hit the region. Officials fear that there are at least 60 people under what’s left of the hotel structure.
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The evacuation team miraculously evacuated Fitri Leonica (25) from room 209. In order to reach Fitri, Edi said the SAR members had to climb a mango tree beside the hotel to reach the survivor considering that heavy machinery could further endanger survivors and evacuation teams alike.
The situation at the rescue effort site hit its low point when the area was hit again with an aftershock. The evacuation team stood in an eerie silence fearing that it would make conditions worse.
“We operate under a single command by the team leader. We are not allowed to move by ourselves,” said Edi.
The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) predicts that there are still dozens of survivors or victims that can be rescued from beneath the rubbles in Palu and Donggala. Meanwhile, the evacuation team has accelerated its efforts since the passing of time can further worsen any possible earthquake survivors.
SYAFIUL HADI
