The huge tents were required to accommodate the growing number of survivors transported by ambulances, Rismaharini remarked while visiting the Sayang Public Hospital in Cianjur District on Tuesday.
During her visit, the minister also handed over aid packages, including tents, biscuits, meals, and folding beds, for injured victims, who had yet to get hospital beds.
Rismaharini gave biscuits and meals to quake survivors, who were staying at a tent set up in the aftermath of the deadly earthquake.
She also urged her ministry's officials to remove rubbish in order to keep the temporary shelter area clean.
The Social Affairs Ministry has prepared around one thousand big tents in seven affected sub-districts to help displaced residents stay at proper temporary shelters, she remarked.
A 5.6-magnitude earthquake had jolted Cianjur on Monday at 1:21 p.m. local time, killing at least 62 people and injuring 362 others.
The quake, whose epicenter was located about 10 km away from Cianjur, at a depth of 10 km, also damaged 2,345 houses and forced 13,400 residents to take refuge.
Despite the absence of a tsunami, the quake's tremors were not only felt by residents in disaster zones but also by those in the areas of Jakarta, Bogor, and Bekasi, according to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG).
West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil had earlier cited data released by the Disaster Mitigation Agency's (BPBD's) Call Center while stating that the quake had killed 162 people.
The death toll was then corrected by Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) that said the figure was recorded at 62.
To help rescue and mitigation efforts, the Indonesian Army has deployed one thousand personnel from several army units that are close to disaster zones in Cianjur.
According to the army headquarters' spokesperson, Brig. Gen. Hamim Tohari, in addition to the deployment of one thousand soldiers, the army would also send personnel from medical and health services, logistics and transportation, and engineering units to serve the affected residents.
The army personnel from logistics and transportation units would help set up public kitchens in disaster zones, he added.
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Translator: Devi NSR, Rahmad Nasution
Editor: Sri Haryati
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