Tsunami simulation in Manado to need 15,000 volunteers

Manado (ANTARA News) - A tsunami simulation to be conducted on December 26, 2008 in  Manado will need the participation of at least 15,000 volunteers, the head of the event's organizing committee, HR Makagansa, said.

 

The simulation would be witnessed by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, and the volunteers would be recruited from among the general public, civil servants, military, police and  quarters responsible for rescue management in a tsunami disaster, Makagansa  said here Saturday.

 

He said the simulation would be conducted in Manado's Mega Mas area in conjunction with the commemoration of the devastating tsunami that hit Aceh province on December 26, 2004.

 

Makagansa expressed hope that the tsunami simulation in Manado would not disturb the local people's Christmas festivities.

 

So far, some 2,000 volunteers had been registered so that  13,000 more were needed.  "Therefore, all students in Manado are expected to take part as volunteers in the simulation," Makagansa said.

 

Meanwhile, Governor SH Sarundajang said earlier that the tsunami simulation should be conducted well because it would be witnessed by President Yudhoyono.

 

Sarundajang said  Manado city and coastal areas in North Sulawesi were prone to earthquakes capable of triggering tsunami.

 

North Sulawesi and Gorontalo provinces were jolted by three consecutive powerful earthquakes measuring 7.7, 6.0, and 5.7 on the Richter scale respectively last November 17, 2008.

 

The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) at the time reported that the first quake measuring 7.7 on the Richter at 1:02 a.m. local time was at a depth of 10 kilometer with its epicenter located 1.41 degrees northern latitude and 122.18 degrees eastern longitude, or 138 kilometer northwest of Gorontalo.

 

Some 43 minutes later, the second aftershock measuring 6.0 on the Richter scale shook the same area at 1:45 a.m. which was then followed by a third but weaker one at at 2:20 a.m. local time.

 

The third aftershock was at a depth of 30 kilometers under the sea level, or 109 kilometers northeast of Toli Toli in Central Sulawesi.

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Images of Aceh Earthquake 9.2 /Tsunami Disaster December 2004