Jakarta (ANTARA) - State-owned energy company Pertamina said it has restored operations at 688 fuel stations, or about 98 percent of its network in flood-hit Aceh, North Sumatra, and West Sumatra.
Pertamina CEO Simon Aloysius Mantiri said on Monday that most stations have been repaired, and operations will be optimized to run around the clock to ease long queues for fuel.
He added that Pertamina has deployed additional staff to support distribution, with military and police personnel assisting operations in several locations.
Mantiri said the company is now focusing on supplying fuel to areas isolated by floods and landslides, including Central Aceh and Bener Meriah districts.
"We rented small aircraft to deliver diesel for utility vehicles, and we will soon use C-130 Hercules planes with larger cargo capacity," he said.
Besides vehicle fuel, Pertamina is also working to restore the supply of liquefied petroleum gas (LPG) to isolated regions using special delivery mechanisms.
"We are coordinating with other agencies to distribute LPG in affected areas and will use the sling-load mechanism for the operation, prioritizing safety," he noted.
To support disaster response in Sumatra, Pertamina has supplied 25 kiloliters of vehicle fuel, 19.8 kiloliters of jet fuel, and 275 LPG cylinders.
The company has also established 161 assistance posts, 111 public kitchens, and distributed aid packages to more than 77,000 people.
Mantiri said Pertamina’s realized assistance for affected residents in the three provinces has reached Rp5.3 billion (around US$317,000).
According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), as of December 8, floods and landslides in Sumatra have killed 929 people, left 274 missing, and affected millions across 52 districts and cities.
