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Quake-flattened Indonesian town staggers to its feet
www.chinaview.cn 2006-06-03 16:36:18

    Special report: Earthquake in Indonesia

    BANTUL, Indonesia, June 3 (Xinhua) -- Sitting in a dusty, noisy roadside market, Bariyah waited patiently for customers to buy her chili and cucumber. One week after a devastating earthquake, the Indonesian vegetable vendor from the hardest-hit Bantul district resumed her small business, although still immersed in the pain of losing her home and her grandson.

    "We used to sell vegetable there," Bariyah gestured to the mass of rubble meters away behind her, which is where the original Hiten market stood.

    "And they've made this makeshift market for us after the quake," said the 52-year-old woman through an interpreter, her voice still somewhat listless.

    The 5.9-magnitude earthquake, which struck Indonesia's Yogyakarta and surrounding areas on May 27, has killed over 6,000 people, injured thousands of others and left nearly 200,000 homeless.

    Now, one week after the disaster, the survivors are slowly recovering from the shock and grief, and life here is also on the way to normalcy.

    The makeshift Hiten market, which is merely tarpaulin stretching on wooden poles, has been in business again since two days earlier. According to Khori, another vendor in the market, the prices of vegetable are basically the same as before the quake, except for eggs, which are a little more expensive. The wholesale market also has abundant stock and they have met no trouble in sourcing.

    Most quake-affected families have started doing what they can to help themselves as well as each other to rebuild the life. All around Bantul, people are seen working on the rubble of their crumbled homes, doing sorting and cleaning work and trying to retrieve something that may still be useable.

    The Indonesian government has also promised to provide a maxim of 30 million rupiah (about 3,400 U.S. dollars) in assistance for every house destroyed in the quake. People said they are waiting for the fund and meanwhile aid is coming to them everyday.

    In a schoolyard-turned aid distribution center in Bantul, people were queuing in for a black plastic parcel which contains instant noodles, milk and basic medicines. A local government official working there said they receive about 5,000-6,000 people on a daily basis, and plan to continue the work for another two weeks.

    In Bantul, he said, there are six such kind of distribution centers run by local government as far as he knows, and there may be more run by other aid organizations.

    With the arrival of International relief medical teams like those from China, Singapore and Malaysia, injured people now have much easier access to medical aid, and that has also greatly eased the stress in local hospitals.

    Schools in Bantul are also expected to resume classes soon. Students and teachers were seen lingering around and two teachers from an elementary school said they have been noticed of restarting classes, which was set at around June 10.

    The quake has gone and life has to move on, said Purwantoko, an old man sitting in front of his blue tent in a Bantul village, who was eager to show visitors his damaged houses and everything.

    "Yes, now I have no money, no food, but thank god, I have my family and we' re all alive. That's the most important," he said, and smiled. Enditem

Editor: Lin Li
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