The ruinous scene in Central Sulawesi of Indonesia after the September disasters (Source: Xinhua/VNA) Jakarta (VNA) – The Indonesian governmenthas affirmed that it is ensuring security and safety for delegates andparticipants of the ongoing 2018 International Monetary Fund (IMF)-World Bank(WB) Group Annual Meetings in Nusa Dua, Bali, following a 6.4-magnitudeearthquake that struck in East Java early on October 11, heard a pressconference later the same day.
CEO of the IMF-WB meeting Susiwijono stressedthat the government had anticipatory measures in place for managing naturaldisasters in coordination with relevant institutions like the Bali Police andthe National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB).
The government had also run evacuation drills withthe hotels where delegates are staying.
He added that relevant agencies are able toanticipate natural disasters and have prepared measures to assure the safety ofdelegates.
No significant impact from the earthquake wasvisible across the meetings’ multiple venues in Nusa Dua, and the early warningsystem had not detected any potential tsunamis, he noted.
The government, along with the IMF, had alsoheld meetings with the hotels’ management teams on evacuation plans and readieda variety of measures and facilities in the event of a natural disaster,Susiwijono explained.
He also underlined that no delegates had cancelledtheir plans following the earthquake in East Java.
On early October 11, the earthquake struck inthe Indonesian island of Java, 158km north western of Nusa Dua, killing threepeople, damaging many buildings and causingpanic among residents after the recent surge of devastation in the nation.
The US Geological Survey (USGS) said the quakeshook buildings on the resort island Bali, where the annual meetings of the IMFand WB are taking place. However, local authorities affirmed that the quake hadnot caused any disruption to the meetings.
Previously, Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi wasravaged by two 6.1- and 7.5-magnitude quakes on September 28. A tsunami rose upafter the second quake hit the area in the afternoon of the same day.
The earthquakes and tsunami killed at least2,045 people and injured 10,679 others. As many as 671 people are stillmissing.
Indonesia sits on the Pacific Ring of Fire andis regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2004, a large earthquake off the northernIndonesian island of Sumatra triggered a tsunami across the Indian Ocean,killing 220,000 people in 13 countries, including more than 168,000 inIndonesia. –VNA
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