International Medical Corps is responding to the aftermath of a powerful earthquake that shook Indonesia 6 p.m. local time. The 8.4-magnitude quake southwest of Sumatra triggered a small tsunami that hit one city on the island. It was followed by a series of aftershocks, the strongest of which registered at a magnitude of 6.6 and triggered a second tsunami alert for Indonesia, which was lifted about an hour later.
IMC's Jakarta office is working with its local partner Ambulan 118 who has deployed an emergency response team to support its network of local health care providers in the affected area. IMC partners with Ambulan 118, a local organization that has a broad network of province-based emergency health personnel who are trained and equipped to respond to natural and man-made disasters, by providing emergency medical services and treatment of trauma cases.
Four provinces felt the earthquake: Jambi, Riau, Bengkulu and West Sumatra, along with tremors felt in East Jakarta. Seven people have died due to the earthquake, with many more casualties expected due to the collapse of major buildings. Approximately 40% of the buildings in one district alone have been damaged with major damage being reported to houses, roads, and buildings in the Mentawi Islands (off the coast of Sumatra). Electricity and telephone services were disrupted but re-established within two hours of the quake.
IMC has been operational in Indonesia since 2000, responding to natural and man made emergencies. After the 2004 Tsunami, IMC began to look at methods in which to better prepare the region against such catastrophic disasters. IMC's program with Ambulan 118 has led to successful emergency responses over the past two years, such as the Yogyakarta earthquake, the Padang earthquake, which is in the same region as the current earthquake, and the Jakarta floods.
[ Any views expressed in this article are those of the writer and not of Reuters. ]
