GORONTALO - Gorontalo residents had been advised by the Gorontalo administration authorities to move to safer and higher places in the northern coast of Sulawesi, which may be hit by a tsunami on Friday. All sub-district and village heads in the region had been advised to evacuate, Head of the National Unity and the Politics (Kesbangpol) Office of North Gorontalo Djamaludin Butang said here Friday.
"The Sub-district heads had asked the residents to evacuate to the hills," Djamaludin said.
The sub-district head of Gentuma Jaya, Marzuki Tome used radio wave and short text messages to order residents to evacuate. The authorities are cooperating with the police and the military in helping evacuate the residents, especially the children, to the nearest hills. Some of the citizens are now in houses on the hills.
While people living near the beaches in Ternate and some other regions in North Maluku moved to higher ground to avoid the tsunami which is moving southward to Indonesia. Earlier, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) warned the people in North Maluku, Papua and North Sulawesi to find higher and safer places to avoid the tsunami from Japan.
"I knew from the news on television that North Maluku will be one of the areas in Indonesia to be hit by the tsunami. That’s why I and my family go to my relative’s house in the higher ground," said Abu Bakar, a resident of Dufa-Dufa, Ternate.
People in Ternate who were evacuating to the higher ground brought their important papers only. Traditional markets and shopping centers which were located either at high land or shore areas were still operated.
"I heard that the tsunami will reach North Maluku at 8 pm, so there’s still time and no need to close the store to soon," said Lutvi, a local seller at the Gamalama Central Market.
Meanwhile, fishermen in Ternate did not go fishing after the warning from BMKG. "I discouraged fishing due to the warning. I’m afraid of the impact of the tsunami," Kadir, a fisherman, said.
In the meantime, Ternate local government had instructed all leaders in its regions to tell their people not to be too close to the beaches. Most people in Halmahera Barat and Morotai districts had moved to higher and safer ground.
source : kompas.com
