Indonesia carry out tsunami drill

Source: CCTV.com | 12-26-2006 17:16

Indonesia has carried out a tsunami evacuation drill on its famous Bali Island. The drill was aimed at informing local residents about dangers of a tsunami and how to respond if one were to hit the Island.

Tourists fled Bali's Sanur beach on Tuesday as part of the tsunami evacuation drill.

The drill also involved the use of search and rescue teams, the military, police, as well as local officials and residents. It featured identifying escape routes and recognizing warning signs.

Officials emphasized the importance of such a drill.

Kusmayanto Kadiman, minister of Research and Technology, said, "We want people to be ready and alert and also to understand the danger of tsunami, so if there is any announcement by the sirens, television or radio, they know how to respond it."

Experts say that the July 17 tsunami in Java -- which killed more than 600 people -- showed that advanced technology may not be enough to save people without a clear and rapid response plan. This is something the local administrations including the Bali government now clearly realize.

Jero Wacik, Tourism and Culture minister, said, "We want to show to the foreign tourists that resorts in Indonesia are relatively safe if a tsunami hits. We have trained people so they understand how to respond it,"

Earthquakes are frequent in Indonesia, a sprawling archipelago of some 17,000 islands that lies in the so called "Pacific Ring of Fire".

Editor:Du Xiaodan