Tuesday, August 7, 2018
The civic administration authorities of Indonesia were allegedly demanding money from tourists before they would let them onto rescue boats.
It happened after the 6.9-magnitude quake struck on Sunday, killing at least 98 people.
Most of holidaymakers are facing this difficulty. They said they were told to pay before entering in rescue boats.
One of the tourists said that they have tried to get on many boats. Boats which were leaving half empty as one need to pay for a ticket… “no boats for everyone, just selected people”.
Some described it a scramble to get on boats leaving for the main island.
Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said it expected the death toll to rise once the rubble of more than 13,000 houses was cleared away after two powerful quakes in a week.
Electricity and communications were severed in some areas, with landslides and a collapsed bridge blocking access to areas around the epicenter in the north. The military administration said it would send a ship with medical aid, supplies and logistics support.
BNPB spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said emergency units in its hospitals were overflowing and some patients were being treated in parking lots.
Oxfam, British based charitable trust said that it was providing clean drinking water and tarpaulin shelter sheets to 5,000 people and planned to intensify aid delivery. The United Nations has offered to support rescue and relief efforts if required.
Tags: 98 people, earthquake, Indonesian rescuers, lombok
