Distribution Lines Opened

KOMPAS/BAHANA PATRIA GUPTA

Workers unload logistics assistance from Kalimantan for earthquake victims in Pantoloan Port, Palu city, Central Sulawesi, Friday (05/10/2018). Assistance for the earthquake victims in Palu city, Donggala regency, and Sigi regency continued to arrive through the port.

SIGI, KOMPAS — Heavy equipment has been deployed to clean up roads covered with earthquake debris to facilitate the distribution of assistance. Electricity and fuel supplies are also being raised to accelerate the recovery of areas affected by the earthquake and tsunami.

Earthquake debris covering roads in Sigi and Palu regency, Central Sulawesi, has started to be cleaned up. Heavy equipment has been deployed to remove mud and building debris.

On the Palu-Napu main road on Friday, Oct. 5, raised asphalt cracks were leveled to enable vehicles to pass. The side of the eroded road was also leveled and debris was removed.

The clean-up was also carried out in school buildings that had been covered in mud. A number of school buildings were not significantly damaged, but were buried by landslide debris up to a height of more than 1 meter. At present, a part of the materials is still half liquid and labile.

"According to the plan, when the mud is removed, we will mobilize our members to clean up the school buildings and their surrounding areas. We hope that schooling can begin gradually after everything is clean," said Sigi Resort Police chief Adj. Sr. Comr. Henry Sumantri.

In Langaleso village, Dolo district, Sigi regency, heavy equipment was used to remove mud and rubble.

The earthquake in Sigi had a severe impact because of the phenomenon of soil liquidation. Moreover, the earthquake also caused landslides in a number of regions, including Kulawi district.

Kulawi district head Abram Roy Bagalatu said that in his area the landslides covered the 7-kilometer road between the villages of Namo and Salua. These landslides have made Kulawi unreachable by land. The landslides also blocked the road to Lindu district. The clean-up of landslide debris is expected to reopen access to the isolated areas.

Electricity and fuel

The electricity supply from the power generation system in Central Sulawesi has currently returned to 60 percent. Generator units have also been used to boost the electricity supply by 5 percent. Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Ignasius Jonan promised the electricity supply would return to at least 90 percent of normal capacity by next week.

So far, five of the seven substations damaged by the earthquake have returned to normal operations. Likewise, out of the 45 damaged distribution lines, 28 are now in operation.

The distribution of fuel has also been expanded. A total of 20 portable gas stations have been operated in a number of locations in Palu city. The portable gas stations, which were sent from Jakarta, were transported by airplane.

State oil and gas company PT Pertamina brought hundreds of gas station operators and LPG bulk filling stations from South Sulawesi as gas station operators in Central Sulawesi had fallen victim to the earthquake and tsunami.

"There will also be additional operator assistance from Surabaya and Semarang, who will also be brought in to normalize fuel and PG services to the public," said a manager of the local communication and CSR unit of Pertamina, M Roby Hervindo.

Ridwan Sobri Carman, head of the sub-division for emergency response and recovery of the Indonesian Red Cross, said in a press statement that PMI volunteers had started to send assistance to a number of isolated locations (REN/ARN/APO)