Indonesian Earthquake Survivor Was Forced To Saw Off His Own Leg
9 Oct
An 18 year old Sumatran boy has told how he became trapped in rubble after the earthquake in Indonesia and was forced to sever his own leg. The boy, called Ramlan, was working on a construction site in Padang City when the earthquake hit. His leg became trapped under a concrete girder and he was unable to move. Fearing that an aftershock would bring down more rubble on top of him Ramlan was forced to make a quick decision.
The boy used a nearby hoe to try and cut through his leg below the knee. When he found that the hoe was too blunt he called his workmate Eman on his mobile phone. Eman came running despite the danger posed by the remaining building on the site. Eventually with Eman’s help Ramlan managed to cut though his shin bone with a saw. Ramlan was rushed to Yos Sudarso Catholic hospital where he is recovering well.
Ramlan and his friend Eman
“Ramlan’s actions were extraordinary and the courage and determination he showed is typical of many survivors with whom we are working. After the earthquakes in Indonesia, and the typhoons in the Philippines and Vietnam, survivors would have been the first to help themselves and others. Now they urgently need international support, including that being provided by DEC members and partners who are bringing in urgently-needed aid and medical supplies.”
DEC chief executive Brendan Gormley
