Over 12 years, the increase (of disaster frequency) reached 81 percent.
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The National Search and Rescue Agency (Basarnas) should involve the public in disaster-handling attempts by providing first aid training, especially to those residing in disaster-prone areas, President Joko Widodo (Jokowi) stated.

The head of state noted in his remarks at the working meeting of Basarnas at the agency’s headquarters, here, on Thursday, that educating the community regarding disaster mitigation is important since the potential for disaster occurrence kept increasing.

The president remarked that the frequency of natural disasters and major accidents occurring throughout the world jumped by up to five folds in the last 50 years.

Meanwhile, the frequency of disasters in Indonesia surged by 81 percent, from 1,945 occurrences in 2010 to 3,542 occurrences in 2022, the president pointed out.

“Over 12 years, the increase (in disaster frequency) reached 81 percent. We expect there will be no more disasters and big accidents,” he emphasized.

Hence, the president deemed it crucial to educate members of the community, so they possess the required knowledge and skills to carry out first aid, he remarked.

Furthermore, Jokowi lauded the agility and responsiveness of Basarnas in evacuating the victims.

“I have to say as it is, Basarnas has a very fast response, as the hope of the victims and their families (regarding the survival of the victims) depends on (the work of) the SAR (search and rescue) team,” he remarked.

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Hence, the swiftness of the SAR team in evacuating victims determines the number of lives that can be saved, he stated.

Indonesia bore witness to several major accidents, such as the Air Asia plane accident in the Belitung waters, Bangka Belitung Islands Province.

Furthermore, in 2018, the Lion Air JT610 plane plunged into the Karawang waters, West Java Province, while Motor Vessel (MV) Sinar Bangun sank in Lake Toba, North Sumatra Province.

The most recent mishap was the accident of the Sriwijaya Air plane in the waters of Seribu Islands District, Jakarta, in 2021.

In addition to the president, Coordinating Minister for Human Development and Culture Muhadjir Effendy and Cabinet Secretary Pramono Anung attended the working meeting that was also held to commemorate the 51st Anniversary of Basarnas.

On the same occasion, the president also appealed to the agency to improve its equipment with the use of latest technology to accelerate the evacuation process of disaster victims.

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Translator: Mentari Gayati, Uyu Liman
Editor: Yuni Arisandy Sinaga
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