Petobo Liquefaction Area Advised to be Entirely Covered with Land
19 October 2018 10:52 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Head of Health Ministry’s Crisis Center Ahmad Yurianto recommends that the area in Petobo, South Palu, to be completely buried under tons of land after the area was heavily damaged by land liquefaction that left numerous victims missing up to this day.
“The best way is to cover the entire area with soil precisely like a burial process of a person’s remains,” said Ahmad in his statement on Thursday, October 18.
Ahmad argues that it would be best to keep the victims buried in the location where numerous people allegedly went missing after being swallowed by the liquefied land. He added that it would also serve as a respect toward the missing people.
Read: Soil Liquefaction Poses Threat to Quake torn Lombok Island
“Considering that there is a small chance to recover the bodies in complete form,” said Ahmad who also explained the risks of bacterial contamination in searching for the remaining bodies.
Based on a recent study, the liquefaction in Balaroa, West Palu, destroyed 1,045 houses throughout an area as large as 47.8 hectares. Meanwhile in Petobo, the liquefaction is predicted to have swallowed 2,050 houses over a 180-hectare land area.
Latest data on October 17, recorded 2,103 lives were killed, 680 people went missing, 4,612 were injured, and forced 274,195 people forced to take refuge. The Provincial Administration has extended the areas' alert status until to October 26.
ANTARA