Govt to Deploy More Heavy Equipment in Post-Quake Relief Efforts
Heavy equipment has been operated to clean up the quake-affected area (Photo by: Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing)
In the wake of the twin disasters that hit a number of areas in Central Sulawesi province, Indonesian Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing will focus on evacuating and searching for the victims, providing clean water and sanitation facilities, cleaning up the affected areas from debris, and improving connectivity in the areas.
“We have deployed six units of heavy equipment to Petobo and four units to Balaroa and add one excavator with stone breakers, given the extent of the affected area. It is estimated that there are many casualties due to liquefaction,” Minister of Public Works and Public Housing Basuki Hadimuljono said during the visit to the affected areas in Palu and Donggala regency, Central Sulawesi with President Joko Jokowi Widodo on Wednesday (3/10).
The Minister added that four excavators, one dump truck, one loader unit have also been operated in Balaroa, while seven excavators, one backhoe loader, one dump truck in Petobo and additional two excavators from Makassar have also arrived in Palu.
According to the Minister, the cleaning up of Palu is carried out by using heavy equipment, including three excavators, one loader, one backhoe loader, one grader, and four dump trucks. The cleaning process is expected to complete in mid-October, he said.
In the meantime, President Jokowi previously said that the search and rescue operations have progressed as planned and a number of additional heavy equipment have also been deployed to speed up the operations. During his second visit to Palu, the President visited a makeshift hospital at Mutiara SIS al-Jufri Airport in Petobo sub-district and the collapsed Roa-Roa Hotel. The President also visited quake-hit Donggala regency, which is located 36 kilometers away from Palu. (BKP Kementerian PUPR/EN) (MUR/EP/YM/Naster)
