The New Year has not reached a month, but there have already been many natural disasters. The latest was an earthquake that hit West Sulawesi Province, causing 81 deaths.
One of the students of Faculty of Dental Medicine, Universitas Airlangga (UNAIR) is one of the victims of the earthquake which claimed many lives and material damage.
Earthquake hit during final term exam
Rizma Puspadini Naharuddin, is a class of 2018 student of Faculty of Dental Medicine UNAIR who experienced first-hand the West Sulawesi earthquake. The student known well as Rizma revealed that the first earthquake hit the area where she lives on Thursday, January 14, 2021.
“The first earthquake was Thursday at 14:35 WITA. At that time I was studying for final exam the day after, suddenly the ground shook, ”said Rizma.
Based on the chronology of events conveyed by Rizma, when the first earthquake hit, Rizma and her family panicked and ran out of the house. At first, she and her family had left the complex to evacuate, but after hearing information from the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) stating that the earthquake had no potential for a tsunami, she returned home.
Based on Rizma’s story, the second earthquake occurred in Mamuju Regency, West Sulawesi, early in the morning, precisely at 02.30 WITA.
“I only slept for about an hour. Then suddenly I woke out of reflex as the ground shook violently with a loud roar, and it went dark immediately, the electricity went out, ” she said.
Like the first earthquake, Rizma and his family immediately got out of the house.
“I ran out of the room, I saw my brothers and sisters were already out of their rooms earlier. In the dark, my sister tried to unlock the door of the house, finally the three of us left the house, but my father and mother had not yet come out. A moment later, I heard the mother’s scream from inside the house calling the names of the three of us, and I also screamed for my father and mother and said that the three of us were outside the house, a moment later my father and mother got out of the house, “explained Rizma.
When the whole family was outside the house and the ground had not stopped shaking, at that moment Rizma could hear the sound of rubble and broken objects from inside the house. In fact, she also thought that her house would collapse. After the earthquake, Rizma and her family went to a safer place and returned when the sun was up.
“After the sun rose, we returned home. Alhamdulillah, our house didn’t collapse, only glass cabinets fell down, one of the rooms’ ceiling collapsed, and there were cracks in the walls and floor of the house. ” Rizma said.
After the second earthquake, she and her family chose to flee to her brother’s house in Makassar. But before that, she also took refuge in the parking area of West Sulawesi Provincial Hospital for two nights. Moreover, at that time she and her family underwent independent isolation, because after a rapid antigen test, she was declared reactive.
“While we were in the refugee camp, our family just stayed in the car and did not join or socialize with other disaster victims,” she said.
It was the first disaster experience for Rizma, she admitted that the experience continue to haunt her. She always feels anxious every time she hears a loud roar. In addition to material losses, the experience shook Rizma and her family psychologically as well.
As a response, UNAIR Faculty of Dental Medicine took the initiative to help Rizma and her family, as Rizma is part of Universitas Airlangga, so it is imperative that we as family help each other.
“To ease the burden of Rizma and her family, we invited the entire community to donate. No matter how much the donation, God willing, it will be very useful for them. Donations can be made to Mandiri account: 141-000-982-0473 (a.n. Anis Irmawati). May Allah always bestow health, sustenance, and facilitate all our affairs as a family. Aamiin, “said Dr. Anis Irmawati, drg., M.Kes.
Finally, Rizma hoped that the victims of West Sulawesi earthquake can be evacuated soon. She hoped that logistical aid, water and electricity can be obtained by the people in the evacuation. And her greatest hope is that there will be no bigger aftershocks and a potential tsunami.
“I also ask for your prayers, I hope this disaster will soon pass and we can return to our activities in Mamuju safely without fears,” she concluded.
Penulis: Bastian Ragas
