NZDF continues air bridge to quake-ravaged Indonesian city

Survivors from the quake-ravaged city of Palu huddle inside a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules that evacuated them to the port city of Balikpapan on 5 October.

The New Zealand Defence Force (NZDF) is continuing to help evacuate survivors and transport aid and emergency responders to the quake-ravaged Indonesian city of Palu.

Major General Tim Gall, the Commander Joint Forces New Zealand, said a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules aircraft and a 14-member NZDF detachment were scheduled to make two aid flights to Palu today.

An Indonesian soldier welcomes survivors from the quake-ravaged city of Palu who were evacuated by the New Zealand Defence Force to the nearby city of Balikpapan.

“Although aid has started to arrive in Palu, the trail of destruction left by the earthquake and tsunami means thousands are in urgent need for shelter, food, water and fuel,” Major General Gall said.

“We have been working with the Indonesian authorities and our international partners to help the thousands of survivors by providing an air bridge between Balikpapan and Palu and evacuate as many people as possible out of the disaster zones.”

Multinational operations to fly aid supplies to disaster zones are being staged out of Balikpapan, a port city in Indonesia’s East Kalimantan province which is about 380 kilometres west of Palu.

The NZDF has delivered more than 18 tonnes of aid and evacuated 120 quake survivors from Palu since last weekend.

Indonesian soldiers and New Zealand Defence Force personnel cheer after offloading 10.6 tonnes of aid supplies from a Royal New Zealand Air Force C-130 Hercules at the quake-ravaged city of Palu on 5 October.