An earthquake measuring 7.2 on the Richter scale rocked the city of Padang, West Sumatra, at 9:42 pm on Monday. The epicenter was 78 km southwest of South Pagai, Mentawai Regency with a depth of 10 km. Tsunami warning was issued immediately.
Another earthquake measuring 5.5 on the Richter scale rocked the area again less than an hour after the first one. This time the epicenter is 89 km southwest of North Pagai, Mentawai, with a depth of 22 km. This time however, there was no Tsunami warning issued. These quakes were felt down to Bengkulu and up to Singapore.
Mentawai Quakes - Right at the surf zone
An Australian volunteer group however reported 2 meter high wave seen at Mentawai coast right after the quakes. There were at least 95 quakes recorded afterward, ranging from small to 6.5. The quakes were caused by friction of two active plates, Indoaustralia and Eurasia that extends at coastal waters of West Sumatra
The disaster was only apparent when report start coming in from Mentawai. It began with two villages at South Pagai, Malakopak and Sinakak and Sikakap at North Pagai. The wave reported as high as 2.5 meters swept some 100 meters inland, destroying a local sea port and submerging hundreds of houses.
More report came in, another two villages Gobik and Montei were heavily damaged, by the quake rather than tsunami with 2 casualties.
A surf charter boat owned by Sumatran Surfariis called Southern Cross carrying 10 Australia surfers was also reported missing that night. The ship apparently do not equipped with proper communication and navigation equipment. The boat however reported save a day later.
Another surf charter boat Freedom 3 narrowly survived the disaster watching the water being sucked away before a four meter wave hurtled towards the boat, breaking it over and catapulting it onto a nearby boat, which then burst into flames. The skipper was able to start the engine and reverse out of there and headed for the sea.
The casualties now stands at 311 dead and some 400 are still missing with more than 2,000 are left homeless. Help effort were delayed by 5 meter waves and terrible weather. On Wednesday food carried by two bigger ships reaches the victims. There still severe shortage of tents, medicine and blankets Refugees had to take shelter under trees and any other objects to protect themselves from cold night. The Transportation Ministry have sent 4 ships with supplies to help speed up the relief effort.
Amid all the casualties and grieving, the Indonesian Head of People Representative, Marzuki Alie, still manages to make unwarranted remark of blaming the victims for living in an island. He casually suggested villagers to abandon their homeland and move elsewhere. “Live on the island are risky, just move. Our country is known to stand in the path of great earthquake and tsunami. If you live on the island like that, even a one day warning will not do you any good”.
Apparently somebody needs to enlighten the honorary Head of People Representative that there is no such a thing as one day Tsunami warning. And if there is, it would do many good to those people as perfectly safe high grounds are reachable within couple of hours from those poor villages.
The Indonesian President and its Vice President are already in Padang, the capital city of West Sumatera and scheduled to land in Mentawai tomorrow. Let’s just hope that the arrival will bring help and at the very least do not worsen the situation by saying unnecessary things.
Indonesia Today
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