Gov’t Quick in Handling Palu Disaster, Wiranto Says

Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto, accompanying Vice President Jusuf Kalla observing on of the post-quake location in Palu, Central Sulawesi, Friday (10/5). (Photo: Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs)

In the wake of the quake and the tsunami that hit Central Sulawesi province, Coordinating Minister for Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs Wiranto said the situation in Palu and the surrounding areas in the quake-hit province Central Sulawesi is gradually recovering.

“Therefore, don’t say that the Government is late in responding to the disasters,” Wiranto said while accompanying Vice President Jusuf Kalla monitoring the evacuation and rescue efforts in Palu, Friday (10/5).

For the record, the Government has deployed troops from the Indonesian National Police, the Indonesian National Defense Forces (TNI), and volunteers to help evacuation process, ensuring security, providing medical services, and distributing food.

“I think the procedures have been implemented well and no one should say that the Government is late in handling the situation. Condition has been gradually recovering in the past week,” Wiranto said.

Wiranto also expressed hope that the post-disaster handling can be faster because all the resources like heavy equipment, technicians, experts are already at the disaster sites, while meals provided for the residents is adequate; the people are calm, so the situation should recover simultaneously.

However, Wiranto acknowledged that in some locations, not all issues could be resolved with heavy equipment, for example at Roa Roa hotel and this, he said, is considered based on the family’s psychological factor.

“They (the families) said, ‘Pak, don’t help us just with heavy equipment. What if there are survivors and bodies that are not identified?’ This is what we should consider, the family’s psychological condition. We should look at other perspectives. We should not just clear the debris, while some victims are still trapped, therefore we should be cautious,” Wiranto said.

Wiranto added that Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing is at the moment quickly resolving the issues to open roads that are still blocked. Electricity and telecommunications that was not functional yesterday has been reactivated, he added.

“It’s our duty to stabilize the situation. We hope that shops and stores are open. We have carried out coordination and we will ensure their safety if they are afraid to open their shops,” Wirato concluded. (Legal and Public Relations Bureau of Coordinating Ministry for Politics, Legal, and Security Affairs/ES)(HYP/EP/Naster)