Power Returns to Indonesian City but Condition of Thousands Unknown

 

Electric power stations were operating again and some businesses reopened in the Indonesian city of Palu on Thursday. However, the condition of thousands of people in nearby communities was unknown nearly a week after an earthquake and tsunami¹ hit the area.

A total of 370,000 people live in Palu, on the island of Sulawesi. The city has been the center of aid efforts after a 7.5 magnitude² earthquake struck on September 28. A short time later, large waves covered parts of Sulawesi’s west coast.

International help in searching for survivors³ has been improving. But damaged roads, landslides⁴ and poor communications have cut off some areas from the rest of Indonesia. This has left many survivors in need of aid that has only just begun to arrive.

By Thursday, the number of people killed was officially listed at 1,424, but it is expected to rise. In Palu itself, most of the dead have been counted. But Indonesian officials are just beginning to count victims from rural areas.

“There are so many challenges with this disaster. It’s never been so bad,” said Frida Sinta, an aid volunteer.

Palu is about 1,500 kilometers northeast of Jakarta. Parts of the city were close to anarchy⁵ earlier this week, with people taking things from stores. But some businesses and banks have now reopened and a mobile phone service is working again.

Orderly lines formed at fuel stations after the arrival of fuel late Thursday. Traffic lights and televisions came back to life as the power came back on.

The improvements are helping⁶ with the aid effort.

“We carry whatever we can by car or motorbike within the city wherever we can. But not yet to the most inaccessible⁷ places,” Frida Sinta said.

About 1.4 million people live in the badly affected⁸ areas of the disaster zone. Rescue workers are pushing into nearby communities, where people said they have been searching for food.

A Red Cross helicopter landed near the town of Donggala, northwest of Palu, to bring in bread and other food, a Reuters photographer said. The news agency worker added that survivors quickly took everything.

An Indonesian government spokesman⁹ told reporters the main roads to the south, west and east of Palu had been opened.

But there has been little information about conditions on the road to the north, along the coast towards the epicenter of the earthquake.

Abdul Haris of the national search and rescue agency said there was no information about the small settlements along the north road.

While the power is back in Palu, it will take much longer for peoples’ lives to return to normal.

Asril Abdul Hamid, a business owner, was looking at the wreckage¹⁰ of his home. It was destroyed by water.

He found a few family pictures.

“(My) family is safe, thank God, but my cousin was killed,” he told Reuters. He said that his family had got food and water in the past few days.

In 2004, an earthquake off the island of Sumatra caused a tsunami across the Indian Ocean that killed 226,000 people in 13 countries. In Indonesia, more than 120,000 people were killed.

I’m Susan Shand.

Words in This Story

tsunami – n. a very high, large wave in the ocean that is usually caused by an earthquake under the sea and that can cause great destruction when it reaches land

challenge – n. a difficult task or problem

inaccessible – adj. an area that cannot be reached

cousin – n. the child or an aunt or uncle

epicenter – n. the part of the ground directly above the center of an earthquake

mobile – adj. having the ability to be moved; changeable in appearance or purpose

magnitude – n. a number that shows the power of an earthquake

1 tsunami   

n.海啸

参考例句：

• Powerful quake sparks tsunami warning in Japan.大地震触发了日本的海啸预警。
• Coastlines all around the Indian Ocean inundated by a huge tsunami.大海啸把印度洋沿岸地区都淹没了。

2 magnitude   

n.大小；重大；星等

参考例句：

• I want to know the magnitude of this equipment.我想知道这个设备的大小。
• I hadn't realized the magnitude of the problem.我没有认识到这个问题的重要性。

3 survivors   

幸存者，残存者，生还者( survivor的名词复数 )

参考例句：

• The survivors were adrift in a lifeboat for six days. 幸存者在救生艇上漂流了六天。
• survivors clinging to a raft 紧紧抓住救生筏的幸存者

4 landslides   

山崩( landslide的名词复数 )； （山坡、悬崖等的）崩塌； 滑坡； （竞选中）一方选票占压倒性多数

参考例句：

• Landslides have cut off many villages in remote areas. 滑坡使边远地区的许多村庄与外界隔绝。
• The storm caused landslides and flooding in Savona. 风暴致使萨沃纳发生塌方和洪灾。

5 anarchy   

n.无政府状态；社会秩序混乱，无秩序

参考例句：

• There would be anarchy if we had no police.要是没有警察，社会就会无法无天。
• The country was thrown into a state of anarchy.这国家那时一下子陷入无政府状态。

6 helping   

n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的

参考例句：

• The poor children regularly pony up for a second helping of my hamburger. 那些可怜的孩子们总是要求我把我的汉堡包再给他们一份。
• By doing this, they may at times be helping to restore competition. 这样一来, 他在某些时候,有助于竞争的加强。

7 inaccessible   

adj.达不到的，难接近的

参考例句：

• This novel seems to me among the most inaccessible.这本书对我来说是最难懂的小说之一。
• The top of Mount Everest is the most inaccessible place in the world.珠穆朗玛峰是世界上最难到达的地方。

8 affected   

adj.不自然的，假装的

参考例句：

• She showed an affected interest in our subject.她假装对我们的课题感到兴趣。
• His manners are affected.他的态度不自然。

9 spokesman   

n.发言人，代言人

参考例句：

• The government spokesman gave a quick briefing to the reporters.政府发言人向记者们作了情况简介。
• They drew lots to decide who should be their spokesman.他们抽签决定谁是他们的发言人。

10 wreckage   

n.（失事飞机等的）残骸，破坏，毁坏

参考例句：

• They hauled him clear of the wreckage.他们把他从形骸中拖出来。
• New states were born out of the wreckage of old colonial empires.新生国家从老殖民帝国的废墟中诞生。