Aid Distribution to Fire Victims in Bamboo Island

Journalist : Supardi (Tzu Chi Batam), Photographer : Supardi (Tzu Chi Batam)

The fire, which lasted only 45 minutes, caused 73 residents to lose their homes.

Friday, January 21, 2022, at around 11.45 WIB, a fire hit 19 houses and at least 73 residents on the coast of Pulau Buluh, Kec. Bulang, Riau Islands Province. We should be grateful that there were no fatalities in this fire disaster, although 11 houses were badly damaged.

Ramadhan, one of the victims who had lost all his belongings in this fire said that after several days of evacuating at his family's house, he and his spouse with four children decided to rent a room for temporary so they could rebuild their house.

The Emergency Response Team surveyed the location of the fire and met directly with the victims.

"What we can do is only to be patient. Whom can we cry this sadness for what has happened?" said Ramadan. He was devastated when he saw the house he had lived in for 14 years, in the blink of an eye, burned to the ground. "I pray that later I can build a house and be able to return to my daily activities again," he said.

After conducting a survey to the location of the fire on January 25, 2022, Tzu Chi Batam volunteers decided to provide assistance in the form of 2 million rupiah cash to every resident whose house had suffered severe or moderate damage. This assistance distribution activity took place in a simple manner on January 27, 2022 at the Jami Nurul Iman Mosque, Buluh Island.

Symbolic handing over of aid by the Tzu Chi Batam Emergency Response Team to the fire victims.

“After we surveyed, aid in the form of food and clothing was numerous and readily available. Since the house was on fire, we decided to help in the form of cash so that it could be used to buy temporary building materials or meet other needs," explained Toni Djono, Head of the Batam Tzu Chi Emergency Response Team. "Hopefully they can bounce back soon after this disaster happens," he added.

This assistance was also appreciated by the Village Head of Pulau Buluh, Pak Borhan. “We really appreciate everything that the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation has done. Let this be a good deed for all of us. For friends of the Buddhist Tzu Chi Foundation, especially those who have set aside sustenance, hopefully they will be blessed with more sustenance, so that they can continue to share good deeds with all of us," he said.

Editor: Olivia Tan (Tzu Chi Volunteers)