Indonesia: Hear from Elis, a survivor from the tsunami hit in Sunda Strait

Elis and her family were at home when the tsunami hit the coast of Sunda Strait on that fateful day of 22 December 2018. Their home was located on the shorelines of Laba Kampong, Cigondang Village, Labuan Subdistrict. They lived just next door to the home of her parents.

When the first wave hit, Elis’ husband, Purwanto cried out: “Tsunami! Tsunami!” He shouted a warning to Elis and rushed to their daughter and his in-laws, who were next door, so they could seek safety.

“When my husband shouted, I put on my clothes as fast as I could. When he was going back inside the house to help me, the second and bigger wave hit our house,” she explained.

The strong wave, taller than a nearby power pole and about 7 to 12 meters high, destroyed their house and reduced it to rubble. Purwanto, 35 years old, got injured when his left thigh was hit by the tin roof of their house. Elis was trapped inside the house by a cupboard and desk, and the rubble that was left of their home. 

“I tried hard to protect my pregnant belly so that it would not be hit by anything. I could not see my daughter. I could not see my mom and dad. What I heard was my husband’s voice calling me,” she narrated. 

Fortunately, even injured, Purwanto was able to save Elis. However, when they could not find their daughter and their elderly parents, they were forced to walk away from their destroyed home and head to the Labuan health centre, all the while thinking that their family members could be dead.

The tsunami separated Elis’ family

Elis and Purwanto walked 2 kilometers towards the health centre in Labuan. Along the way, they met a man in a motorbike who offered them a ride to the centre.

Once there, they saw a lot of people who were injured like them and awaiting treatment. While waiting, they kept on trying to get information about their family.“

That night, we finally got word that our daughter was safe and she was with my sister,” Elis said with relief.

The following day, Elis and Purwanto met Elis’ mom and dad who were also injured quite badly. “Thank God, our family members were safe despite their injuries,” Elis sighed.  

Médecins Sans Frontières’ (MSF) support to tsunami victims

Elis and her husband were treated by the MSF team at the Labuan health centre. “I met Ibu Dina (the MSF midwife) and Doctor Santi at the Labuan Health Center on Sunday,” Elis remembered. “They checked my condition and that of the baby. I had bruises with some swelling almost all over my body. But thank God, my baby is okay,” she said with a smile.

The MSF team that attended Elis ensured her medical care. She stayed at the Labuan Health Centre for the next three days. Meanwhile, they referred Purwanto and Elis’ mother to the hospital in Pandeglang as their injuries were quite severe. Her father was also referred to the same hospital due to an injury on his left hand. 

Since February 2018, MSF has been in Pandeglang District for an Adolescent Health Project that they were working on in collaboration with the Indonesian Ministry of Health. Hours after the tsunami hit, the emergency medical team of MSF visited and immediately supported the health centres in Labuan and Carita, two of the most affected areas.

MSF has also been operating a mobile clinic to reach evacuation centres or shelters as well as host communities in Labuan and Carita. Most of the people staying in these areas were not able to access medical services and their injuries from the tsunami remained untreated. On the eight day of the MSF response, the MSF team visited Elis and her family at the home of her older sister where they were temporarily staying after Elis was released from the health centre, and after her husband and parents were released from the hospital.  

The team checked the injuries of Elis, Purwanto, and their parents. Their wounds were redressed and their bandages replaced. “We really want to have a new place soon. I know it is stressful now, but I don’t want my trauma to affect my baby. I am okay now,” said Elis.

The tsunami affected five districts in Banten and Lampung provinces in Indonesia. Among these, the Pandeglang District was the most affected. The Meteorology,Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) confirmed that the tsunami was caused by the eruption of the Anak Krakatau volcano which triggered an underwater landslide.