Indonesians take part in disaster drills ahead of 2004 tsunami anniversary
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Locals taking part in a tsunami drill in Deah Glumpang village, Banda Aceh, on Nov 13 as a part of the 2nd Unesco-IOC Global Tsunami Symposium.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
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Banda Aceh, Indonesia – Hundreds of Indonesians fled for higher ground on Nov 13 as they ran through disaster drills in the region worst hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami ahead of its 20th anniversary in December.
Children burst down the stairs in a rush for safety from the second floor of a school near Aceh’s provincial capital Banda Aceh, where more than 60,000 were killed in the tsunami.
As school bells rang out, dozens of children ran into the road covering their heads, following marked escape routes as volunteers shouted “evacuate”.
“With exercises, we can prevent, rather than cure,” said 34-year-old participant and local village official Rizky Firmansyah.
“It’s better like that, I think, because it’s better for us to anticipate than to have things that we don’t want to happen.”
The drills simulated the magnitude 9.2 earthquake which struck off the west coast of Indonesia’s Sumatra island on Dec 26, 2004, sparking giant waves that killed more than 200,000 people in 14 countries.
The UN-organised drills saw hundreds of students and volunteers run to safe houses, including one that is four storeys high, when the mock quake struck.
‘Extremely important’
The drills – which took place in two villages as hundreds of observers watched – were part of a tsunami summit of experts organised by the United Nations cultural agency Unesco.
Nearly 20 years on from the disaster, the UN is trying to get 100 per cent of coastal communities prepared for a repeat tsunami by 2030.
“We must ensure the next generation remains informed, prepared and resilient,” Mr Ardito Kodijat, a Unesco official and head of the Indian Ocean Tsunami Information Centre, told AFP.
“Ensuring community preparedness requires regular drills.”
Indonesia is one of the most disaster-prone nations on earth.
Hundreds of Indonesians fleeing for higher ground on Nov 13 during a disaster drills in Banda Aceh, the region worst hit by the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
PHOTO: EPA-EFE
The archipelago nation lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide and many of the world’s volcanic eruptions and earthquakes occur.
Unesco experts say the world is much safer today from the threat of massive tsunamis due to early warning systems that were lacking in 2004.
But the agency has also warned coastal communities to stay alert.
“While we have made significant strides, the nature of this hazard requires us to remain vigilant,” Mr Vidar Helgesen, executive secretary of Unesco’s inter-governmental oceanographic commission, told delegates in Banda Aceh on Nov 11.
Indonesia’s meteorology, climatology and geophysics agency (BMKG) also took part in the exercises meant to test operating procedures, communications and evacuation preparedness.
Many people are believed to have lost their lives in countries around the Indian Ocean basin because of a lack of warning and preparedness.
So such drills are vital for locals, even though tsunamis are infrequent.
“This is extremely important for this community,” said Ms Cutraa Rasmanidar, a 21-year-old graduate working as a volunteer.
“I think it’s important because it’s reflective, so we can remember what happened in the past.” AFP
