aftermath

This tragedy destroyed over 70,000 homes, taking the lives of more than 2000 people and leaving over 4000 seriously injured. This tragic disaster left the country facing issues concerning sanitation, food supply, electricity, transportation, shelter, communications, security and medical care.

Other countries scrambled to help in relief efforts. The UN applied and sought 50 million dollars for immediate disaster relief. Searches for missing people continued days after the events. 186 people were rescued from liquefaction areas, which is a very small percentage compared to how many were lost. Officials finally called search and rescue efforts on October 11th of that year and decided to make the areas of liquefaction mass graves.

In the process immediately after the tragic events the military released a statement that looters would be shot on site. Parks were deemed areas of refuge for those who lost their homes. School children began to clean and service their schools to help get them back up and running. The community had to come together in the crisis and start to look forward and repair what they once had.

In a recent statement from Jatmiko on October 11, 2018, the day the search was called off it is reported that “Judging the conditions now, the reconstruction period will be from 2019 to 2020,” he said. “We expect full recovery by 2021.” The long process will not be easy. Neighborhoods have sunken and turned to mud and miles of coast line are ruined and debris filled. Only time can heal such a tragedy.