This article is from the source 'nytimes' and was first published or seen on . It last changed over 40 days ago and won't be checked again for changes.
You can find the current article at its original source at http://www.nytimes.com/2016/03/04/world/asia/indonesia-earthquake.html
The article has changed 3 times. There is an RSS feed of changes available.
Version 1 | Version 2 |
---|---|
Indonesia’s Tsunami Sensors Were Down During Quake | |
(about 3 hours later) | |
JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia was compelled to rely on tsunami warnings from other nations’ buoys in the Indian Ocean this week after a huge earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra because its detection system was disabled, a senior disaster agency official said on Thursday. | JAKARTA, Indonesia — Indonesia was compelled to rely on tsunami warnings from other nations’ buoys in the Indian Ocean this week after a huge earthquake off the west coast of Sumatra because its detection system was disabled, a senior disaster agency official said on Thursday. |
The earthquake struck on Wednesday night, had a magnitude of 7.8 and set off warnings in multiple countries, but it did not cause a tsunami. Indonesia’s warning system, completed in 2008, has not been operable since last year, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. | The earthquake struck on Wednesday night, had a magnitude of 7.8 and set off warnings in multiple countries, but it did not cause a tsunami. Indonesia’s warning system, completed in 2008, has not been operable since last year, said Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, a spokesman for the National Disaster Management Agency. |
Indonesia began deploying a chain of German-built buoys less than a year after the Indian Ocean tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 230,000 people in more than a dozen countries, including around 177,000 in the Indonesian province of Aceh alone. | Indonesia began deploying a chain of German-built buoys less than a year after the Indian Ocean tsunami of Dec. 26, 2004, which killed 230,000 people in more than a dozen countries, including around 177,000 in the Indonesian province of Aceh alone. |
In the years since the system became operable, there have been occasional reports about pirates and fishermen stealing parts from the buoys or hauling them away to sell for scrap. | In the years since the system became operable, there have been occasional reports about pirates and fishermen stealing parts from the buoys or hauling them away to sell for scrap. |
“There were 22 buoys, and as of last year, the last of them were not working due to them breaking down, or from theft or vandalism,” Mr. Sutopo said. | “There were 22 buoys, and as of last year, the last of them were not working due to them breaking down, or from theft or vandalism,” Mr. Sutopo said. |
“And we don’t have funding for maintenance or to replace them,” he said. | “And we don’t have funding for maintenance or to replace them,” he said. |
After the earthquake struck shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the country’s meteorology agency, which runs its tsunami warning center, transmitted a warning about a possible tsunami to the disaster management agency and other government bodies based on readings from its seismograph network, Mr. Sutopo said. | After the earthquake struck shortly before 8 p.m. on Wednesday, the country’s meteorology agency, which runs its tsunami warning center, transmitted a warning about a possible tsunami to the disaster management agency and other government bodies based on readings from its seismograph network, Mr. Sutopo said. |
He said Indonesia otherwise relied on rapid data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from warning systems run by Australia and Thailand. | He said Indonesia otherwise relied on rapid data from the United States National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and from warning systems run by Australia and Thailand. |
“It’s difficult to ask the disaster management agency to make sure a tsunami is not happening,” Mr. Sutopo said. “I think we need to build the buoy network again.” | “It’s difficult to ask the disaster management agency to make sure a tsunami is not happening,” Mr. Sutopo said. “I think we need to build the buoy network again.” |
He said the cost for new buoys would be $300,000 to $600,000 each, depending on whether the Indonesian government bought units from the United States or built its own. | He said the cost for new buoys would be $300,000 to $600,000 each, depending on whether the Indonesian government bought units from the United States or built its own. |
It was nearly two hours before the Indonesian center called off its tsunami warning on Wednesday night, long after its neighbors Thailand and Australia. | It was nearly two hours before the Indonesian center called off its tsunami warning on Wednesday night, long after its neighbors Thailand and Australia. |
“We were still trying to check our tidal gauges to convince ourselves before canceling the announcement” about a possible tsunami, said Andi Eka Sakya, director general of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. “What we get is from the tidal gauges.” | “We were still trying to check our tidal gauges to convince ourselves before canceling the announcement” about a possible tsunami, said Andi Eka Sakya, director general of the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency. “What we get is from the tidal gauges.” |
Although the quake caused neither injures nor significant property damage, it did dismay residents of the West Sumatra city of Padang; some fled to higher ground on foot or by motorcycle. | Although the quake caused neither injures nor significant property damage, it did dismay residents of the West Sumatra city of Padang; some fled to higher ground on foot or by motorcycle. |