by Abu Hanifah
BANDA ACEH, Aceh, Indonesia, April 12 (Xinhua) -- People living in Indonesia's westernmost province of Aceh said that they have already been accustomed to tremors over the past decades, which gave them knowledge about how to deal with quake disasters and avert the danger of quake-triggered tsunami.
Past experiences made them aware and consciously take efforts to save their lives in response to the earthquake recorded at a magnitude of 8.5 Wednesday, and the aftershocks that were strongly felt in Aceh as the epicenter of the quake was located at 346 kilometers west of its outer island of Simeulue.
Their awareness and readiness in face of earthquakes have been strengthened by the devastating 9.3-magnitude earthquake and overwhelming tsunami that hit several cities in the province, including the capital city of Banda Aceh in Dec. 2004 that claimed more than 230,000 lives.
27 year-old Zulaidi, father to a baby girl who lives in downtown Banda Aceh with his family, recalled that the Wednesday afternoon earthquake was nothing compared to what happened in 2004.
"I was on my paddy field when I felt the first quake. So I spontaneously ducked to the ground like others surrounding me. I knew that it was a strong one. We went to our houses and led our families to stay outside the house, waiting until the situation considered safe to return to our houses," Zulaidi said.
He added he and his neighbors have experienced tremors many times since the mega-quake in 2004 which made him aware of what to do if the situation is worsening.
"5.0 to 6.0 magnitude earthquakes often occur here, but it was not devastating like the one in 2004. I already have plans to go to higher ground if I realize tsunami is coming," he said.
Like many Acehnese living in the city, Zulaidi has been drilled on evacuation procedure by local government officials in coordination with the central government and international agencies.
Afri and Wanti, two students studying in a Banda Aceh college said that they consciously learned the situation when the major earthquake struck on Wednesday afternoon.
"I ducked down on the ground when the earthquake took place. I began to think of possible tsunami that made us a little bit scared. Later on we tried to remember steps to respond to such an emergency situation," 20-year-old Afri said.
She said that besides receding water in the coast line, there is another sign of tsunami by nature. "There were no birds flying to the opposite direction from the sea. So I began to think that there won't be tsunami," Afri said. The sight made her somewhat relieved.
She said that she had learned the safety measures to escape from tsunami from materials provided by the government and international aid agencies working in Aceh in rehabilitation efforts in the province that had been severely devastated in the aftermath of the 2004 tsunami.
Several buildings are particularly designed as evacuation centers to save people from the impact of earthquake and potential tsunami in the province as the area remains risky in the future due to movement of continental plates under the sea in western Sumatra waters.
Asmadi Syam, Aceh chapter disaster mitigation agency chief, said that the recent major earthquake was not destructive, but the meteorology agency of BMKG issue tsunami warning as tsunami symptoms persisted in several parts in the province.
"There was no major damage caused by the earthquake. Buildings remained standing strong. But there were people who died in the earthquake due to their health problems," Asmadi told Xinhua in his office here.
He said five people died of heath attacks during the earthquake Wednesday as the temblor was continued with several aftershocks. Minor injuries were also suffered by those trying to escape on motorbikes as they could not control their rides properly.
Asmadi said that some people went to higher ground with their families soon after the first earthquake hit the city and returned to their homes after government agencies lifted the tsunami warning on 07:45 p.m. local time.
He said his office is still coordinating with the central government in anticipating possible earthquakes, including provision of quick relief aid, logistic distribution and handling of emergency situation on the ground, as the province has been categorized as the most quake-prone region in the country.
Special Report: Massive quakes hit N Sumatra, Indonesia
