Traumatic Event of 1992 Tsunami Still Haunts Selayar Islanders: BNPB

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The traumatic experience of strong earthquake and tsunami in 1992 might still haunt and trigger several residents of Selayar Islands District, South Sulawesi, to take refuge following the recent strong earthquake, a government official stated.

As of Friday, some 5,064 residents still took refuge following the 7.4-magnitude earthquake that struck Flores Sea in East Nusa Tenggara Province on December 14, 2021, according to Abdul Muhari.

Most of the displaced people taking refuge are the residents of Selayar Islands District, Muhari, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BNPB's) spokesperson, noted in a statement that ANTARA quoted on Saturday.

Some 266 other displaced residents are in the Flores area of East Nusa Tenggara, he remarked, adding that the recent strong earthquake did not cause any fatality.

The traumatic experience of the strong earthquake and tsunami in 1992 might have triggered several residents of Selayar Islands District in South Sulawesi to stay at temporary shelters, he remarked.

With no reported fatality, the recent strong earthquake had caused serious injury to one resident and minor injuries to 97 others, Muhari added.

Earthquakes regularly strike various parts of Indonesia, as the country lies on the Circum-Pacific Belt, also known as the Ring of Fire, where several tectonic plates meet and cause frequent volcanic and seismic activities.

Two of the deadliest earthquakes in Indonesia that occurred over the past few years were the ones that hit several areas of the provinces of West Nusa Tenggara and Central Sulawesi.

On August 5, 2018, a magnitude 7.0 earthquake rocked Mataram, the capital city of West Nusa Tenggara Province, killing at least 555 people and causing injuries to 829 others.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), most fatalities were found to be residents of North Lombok District's areas due to their proximity to the epicenter of the strong earthquake. The earthquakes that occurred repeatedly also damaged 23,098 houses and caused the forced displacement of 134,236 people.

Meanwhile, on September 28, 2018, a 7.4-magnitude earthquake that was followed by a tsunami hit the areas of Palu City and the districts of Donggala, Paringi Moutong, and Sigi in Central Sulawesi, claiming 2,102 lives.

The earthquake also injured 4,612 people and rendered 680 others missing. It also damaged 68,451 houses and displaced 78,994 people.

On January 15 this year, a deadly earthquake, with a magnitude of 6.2, rattled the districts of Mamuju and Majene in West Sulawesi Province, claiming over 100 lives and destroying several buildings.

Read: Tsunami Warning Revoked Following NTT Earthquake

ANTARA