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53381
Wed, 04/01/2009 - 23:10
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News Feature: SITU GINTUNG TRAGEDY LEAVES TRAUMA AMONG SURVIVORS
By Bambang Purwanto
Jakarta, April 1 (ANTARA) - Several days have elapsed since the deadly burst of the Situ Gintung Dam in Cirendeu, Ciputat sub district, Tangerang, Banten province, in the wee hours of Friday, March 27, 2009.
Survivors of the tragedy, from school-age children to adult persons, are still traumatized by their suffering in the tsunami-like disaster which killed tens of people, left hundreds of others missing and devastated entire residential areas.
"My daughter is still traumatized by the Gintung Dam disaster as she saw corpses lying scattered here and there," one survivor, Suhini (43), said in Ciputat on Monday night, March 30, 2009.
She said her daughter, Anisa Salsabilla Putri (5), had lost her appetite for food and was reluctant to go to school. Anisa had never shown such an attitude before.
According to Suhini whose house is located only about 200 meters from the ill-fated dam, her daughter who is still in kindergarten now refuses to go to school.
Suhini further said, Anisa, the youngest of her five children, sometimes cries hysterically while calling out the names of her friends who are still missing.
Although Subini's house was not hit by the wall of water that fell on residential areas following the burst, Anisa and her father saw how the ensuing flash flood swept through their neighborhood.
Besides Anisa, Rama Julian (7) who is a second-year student at an elementary school in Ciputat was also traumatized by the deadly tragedy and she too refuses to go to school although her parents had strongly persuaded her.
The daughter of Arsih (37) and Aris Budi Kartika (40) who survived the calamity also saw how the rushing waters destroyed the houses of neighbors.
In the face of the emergency situation, Julian was in the company of her mother calling for immediate assistance in the form of school bags, pencils and books for herself and other child victims in the hope they could continue studying.
Julian's mother, Arsih, had repeatedly asked her to go to school but she refused as she seemed to have not yet overcome her trauma.
"I cannot force her to go to school as she is still traumatized by the sight of her friend Indah (8) being killed by dam waters," said Arsih who escaped the disaster as her house is located on higher ground.
Arsih said she continued trying to persuade her daughter to go to school and if the effort failed, she wanted to bring her to recreational places to make her forget her dreadful experience.
Situ Gintung Dam which covers a total area of 21 hectares was a tourist site visited by many people before it burst after incessant rains. The dam which was no longer able to hold about two million cubic meters of water cracked, allowing the water to rush freely onto the nearest residential area.
The tragedy also brought deep sorrow for Datunisarani (21) whose boyfriend was killed in the disaster. "I can no longer marry him because the Situ Gintung tragedy killed my would-be husband," said Datunisarani who lives in Ciputat.
Datunisarani said she had her last conversation by phone with her boy-friend on Friday, March 27, 2009, at about 2 am. On that occasion, her boyfriend had said he would propose marriage to her in the near future.
But God decided otherwise, she said, as three hours after their phone conversation she heard about the Situ Gintung tragedy which killed tens of people including her would-be husband, Sofyan Sawi (25) who lived at a house which was destroyed by the huge wall of water from the dam burst.
Datunisarani met Sofyan for the last time on Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at about 7 pm when they were discussing Sofyan's wish to ask Datunisarini's parents for her hand in marriage.
She said Sofyan was a man who was able to console her when she was sad and gave her solutions for every problem, thus she was unable to forget Sofyan who said he loved her all the time until he died.
Datunisarani escaped the disaster as she was living in a two-storey house in a higher location.
"It is difficult for me to see such a good boy like Sofyan who is hospitable, cute and able to find solutions when we are facing problems," she said.
Fatigue
Meanwhile, the survivors of the Situ Gintung tragedy are now suffering from fatigue and wounds.
Am officer in charge of health affairs at the Situ Gintung Command Post, Dr. Deliana, said due to the extreme fatigue, the suvivors were suffering from stiff and pains in muscles.
"We give vitamins to the victims who are suffering from stiff and pains in muscles and suggest that they take a good rest," Deliana said.
The medical team also provided those suffering from bruises and wounds after being hit by debris and pricked by sharp objects with tetanus injections, she said, adding that her team at the evacuation camp had yet to receive reports on those suffering from diarrhea.
Meanwhile, relief aid in the form of food , medicines and clothing among other things had come from different circles to the Situ Gintung Commnad Post.
It was reported that residential areas close to the Situ Gintung Dam in Tangerang, Banten, would be relocated to elsewhere so they had actually been set up in the dam's danger zone.
"Now the stricken areas are being cleared from debris and rescuers are still searching for other still missing people," Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said.
According to him, the residential areas devastated by the water from the dam burst were dangerous places where people were not allowed to live.
However, the number of buildings in the areas had kept on increasing and making the area of Situ Gintung dam narrower and narrower.
He said the Situ Gintung dam was built by the Dutch colonial government in the 1930s for an irrigation program.
"The dam has a spillway but when the rice fields were turned into human settlements the irrigation works ceased to function," the minister said, adding that the dam then functioned as a conservation and recreational area.
In 2008, the Public Works Ministry had checked the dam and it did not find any physical irregularities, said the minister who explained that the dam burst was due to an extraordinary happening after heavy rains.
"The dam is indeed made of soil and not hardened with stones. It was then eroded and when heavy rains fell, it burst," said the minister who said that his ministry was responsible for the incident.***
Jakarta, April 1 (ANTARA) - Several days have elapsed since the deadly burst of the Situ Gintung Dam in Cirendeu, Ciputat sub district, Tangerang, Banten province, in the wee hours of Friday, March 27, 2009.
Survivors of the tragedy, from school-age children to adult persons, are still traumatized by their suffering in the tsunami-like disaster which killed tens of people, left hundreds of others missing and devastated entire residential areas.
"My daughter is still traumatized by the Gintung Dam disaster as she saw corpses lying scattered here and there," one survivor, Suhini (43), said in Ciputat on Monday night, March 30, 2009.
She said her daughter, Anisa Salsabilla Putri (5), had lost her appetite for food and was reluctant to go to school. Anisa had never shown such an attitude before.
According to Suhini whose house is located only about 200 meters from the ill-fated dam, her daughter who is still in kindergarten now refuses to go to school.
Suhini further said, Anisa, the youngest of her five children, sometimes cries hysterically while calling out the names of her friends who are still missing.
Although Subini's house was not hit by the wall of water that fell on residential areas following the burst, Anisa and her father saw how the ensuing flash flood swept through their neighborhood.
Besides Anisa, Rama Julian (7) who is a second-year student at an elementary school in Ciputat was also traumatized by the deadly tragedy and she too refuses to go to school although her parents had strongly persuaded her.
The daughter of Arsih (37) and Aris Budi Kartika (40) who survived the calamity also saw how the rushing waters destroyed the houses of neighbors.
In the face of the emergency situation, Julian was in the company of her mother calling for immediate assistance in the form of school bags, pencils and books for herself and other child victims in the hope they could continue studying.
Julian's mother, Arsih, had repeatedly asked her to go to school but she refused as she seemed to have not yet overcome her trauma.
"I cannot force her to go to school as she is still traumatized by the sight of her friend Indah (8) being killed by dam waters," said Arsih who escaped the disaster as her house is located on higher ground.
Arsih said she continued trying to persuade her daughter to go to school and if the effort failed, she wanted to bring her to recreational places to make her forget her dreadful experience.
Situ Gintung Dam which covers a total area of 21 hectares was a tourist site visited by many people before it burst after incessant rains. The dam which was no longer able to hold about two million cubic meters of water cracked, allowing the water to rush freely onto the nearest residential area.
The tragedy also brought deep sorrow for Datunisarani (21) whose boyfriend was killed in the disaster. "I can no longer marry him because the Situ Gintung tragedy killed my would-be husband," said Datunisarani who lives in Ciputat.
Datunisarani said she had her last conversation by phone with her boy-friend on Friday, March 27, 2009, at about 2 am. On that occasion, her boyfriend had said he would propose marriage to her in the near future.
But God decided otherwise, she said, as three hours after their phone conversation she heard about the Situ Gintung tragedy which killed tens of people including her would-be husband, Sofyan Sawi (25) who lived at a house which was destroyed by the huge wall of water from the dam burst.
Datunisarani met Sofyan for the last time on Tuesday, March 24, 2009, at about 7 pm when they were discussing Sofyan's wish to ask Datunisarini's parents for her hand in marriage.
She said Sofyan was a man who was able to console her when she was sad and gave her solutions for every problem, thus she was unable to forget Sofyan who said he loved her all the time until he died.
Datunisarani escaped the disaster as she was living in a two-storey house in a higher location.
"It is difficult for me to see such a good boy like Sofyan who is hospitable, cute and able to find solutions when we are facing problems," she said.
Fatigue
Meanwhile, the survivors of the Situ Gintung tragedy are now suffering from fatigue and wounds.
Am officer in charge of health affairs at the Situ Gintung Command Post, Dr. Deliana, said due to the extreme fatigue, the suvivors were suffering from stiff and pains in muscles.
"We give vitamins to the victims who are suffering from stiff and pains in muscles and suggest that they take a good rest," Deliana said.
The medical team also provided those suffering from bruises and wounds after being hit by debris and pricked by sharp objects with tetanus injections, she said, adding that her team at the evacuation camp had yet to receive reports on those suffering from diarrhea.
Meanwhile, relief aid in the form of food , medicines and clothing among other things had come from different circles to the Situ Gintung Commnad Post.
It was reported that residential areas close to the Situ Gintung Dam in Tangerang, Banten, would be relocated to elsewhere so they had actually been set up in the dam's danger zone.
"Now the stricken areas are being cleared from debris and rescuers are still searching for other still missing people," Public Works Minister Djoko Kirmanto said.
According to him, the residential areas devastated by the water from the dam burst were dangerous places where people were not allowed to live.
However, the number of buildings in the areas had kept on increasing and making the area of Situ Gintung dam narrower and narrower.
He said the Situ Gintung dam was built by the Dutch colonial government in the 1930s for an irrigation program.
"The dam has a spillway but when the rice fields were turned into human settlements the irrigation works ceased to function," the minister said, adding that the dam then functioned as a conservation and recreational area.
In 2008, the Public Works Ministry had checked the dam and it did not find any physical irregularities, said the minister who explained that the dam burst was due to an extraordinary happening after heavy rains.
"The dam is indeed made of soil and not hardened with stones. It was then eroded and when heavy rains fell, it burst," said the minister who said that his ministry was responsible for the incident.***
