Ngamhla Lina Isihlabathi

Ngumlobeli wePhaphama! ePhilippines

USUKU lwangoMgqibelo, ngoJune 15, 1991, kuyoba usuku olunzima ukuba izakhamuzi eziningi zaseLuzon emaphakathi zilukhohlwe. Nakuba kubonakala kungakholeki, lolu kwakuwusuku isihlabathi esana ngalo njengemvula siwela emagqumeni aluhlaza avundile nasemasimini erayisi ezifundeni zasePampanga, eTarlac, naseZambales ePhilippines. Okwenzeka ngalolosuku nendlela okwathinta ngayo izakhamuzi zalendawo ezingaphezu kwezigidi ezimbili, kuhlanganise noFakazi BakaJehova abangu-2 900, kubuhlungu futhi kuhlaba umxhwele.

Bambalwa abafa, njengoba izazi zezintaba-mlilo eziqapha imisebenzi yokuzamazama komhlaba yeNtaba iPinatubo zazikhiphe izixwayiso kusenesikhathi. Izinkulungwane zabantu bendabuko bohlanga lwama-Aeta zazisukile endaweni esentabeni ngaphambi kokuba ukuqhuma okukhulu kwentaba-mlilo kwenzeke, futhi zonke izakhamuzi ezisendaweni ezungezile eqhele ngamakhilomitha angu-20 ukusuka eNtabeni iPinatubo zanxuswa ukuba zikhosele kwezinye izindawo. Izinsuku ezimbili nje ngaphambi kokuqhuma kokuqala okukhulu ngoJune 12, iU.S. Air Force yakhipha iningi lezisebenzi zayo eSikhumulweni Sezindiza Zempi esiseClark ezansi kweNtaba iPinatubo yaziyisa esikhumulweni semikhumbi yempi eduze kweDolobha laseOlongapo, okuyisikhungo esikhulu kakhulu esinjalo kusukela eMpini Yezwe II. Amaphuzu amakhulu ezixwayiso akhishwa isazi sokuma komhlaba uRichard J. Purser lapho ebhala encwadini kawonk’ uwonke eyayiya kubantu basePhilippines, ethi: “Kuze kube manje iPhivolcs [Philippine Institute of Volcanology and Seismology] iye yanikhonza ngendlela enhle futhi iseluleko sayo siye saba ngesicacile nesiqondakalayo nesishaya emhloleni ngokwesayensi.”

Ukulandisa Kwabazibonela Ngawabo

UEsther Manrique, isikhonzi sesikhathi esigcwele soFakazi BakaJehova esihlala eSubic, eZambales, cishe amakhilomitha angu-30 ukusuka eNtabeni iPinatubo, ulandisa indaba yakhe ngokuthi kwakunjani ukuphila phakathi nezinsuku elana ngazo isihlabathi. Uthi: “Konke kwaqala ngoLwesithathu ekuseni, ngoJune 12. Njengoba sasiya enkonzweni, abantu abaningi babegqolozele umbukwane omangalisayo. Ifu, elimise okwekhowe, linjengokuqhuma kwebhomu le-athomu, lakheka phezu kweNtaba iPinatubo. Ngemva kwemizuzu embalwa, laqala ukuna—kodwa hhayi amanzi; kunalokho, lana isihlabathi.

“NgoLwesine laphinde lana isihlabathi. NgoLwesihlanu ntambama cishe ngehora lesibili, lasibekela ngobumnyama obabungalindelekile, futhi isihlabathi nodaka kwana kuyo yonke indawo. Izisebenzi nabantwana besikole baphindiswa emakhaya ngokushesha. Labo ababehamba bengaphethe zambulela babefana namatshe ahambayo ngenxa yesihlabathi nodaka.”

NgoMgqibelo ekuseni cishe ngehora lesikhombisa, isibhakabhaka saba mnyama isikhathi esicishe sibe yihora. UCelestino Layug wasePorac, ePampanga, wakhuluma ngesici esingavamile asibona ngalobobusuku: “Umbani ngoMgqibelo wawungafani nalutho engake ngalubona ngaphambili. Ngaphandle kwemibala evamile emhlophe neluhlaza okwesibhakabhaka kwabonakala ebomvu nerose. Ngaso lesosikhathi, kwezwakala ukuzamazama komhlaba okwakwenzeka ngokuphindaphindiwe.”

Okwakwenzekile

Isazi sokuma komhlaba uRichard Purser sabhala: “Ukuba iHollywood yayibhala umdlalo oqanjiwe akekho owayeyokwamukela lebhayisikobho yokuqhuma okukhulu okungu-10, ukuzamazama komhlaba okuthathu nesiphepho esinamandla ngobusuku obubodwa njengejabulisayo. Into eyenzeke ngempela ingaba eyinqaba ngempela kunendaba eqanjiwe.” Engxoxweni yethelevishini, umqondisi wePhivolcs, uRaymundo Punongbayan, walinganisela ukuthi ngokusekelwe ebukhulwini bomgodi, cishe amacubic khilomitha amabili ezinto eziphuma uma kuqhuma intaba-mlilo zaziphumele emoyeni.

Yimaphi amandla ayedingeka ukuze kususwe lelinani elikhulu lezinto eziphumayo? Isazi sokuma komhlaba uPurser sathi: “Amandla adingekayo ukuze kususwe amacubic mitha ayizigidi eziyizinkulungwane ezimbili (izinkulungwane eziyizigidi ezinhlanu zamathani) isilinganiso samakhilomitha angu-17,5 ukuya phezulu kulingana nesikhali senuzi esingamathani ayizigidi ezingu-25 (esinamandla ngokuphindwe ka-1 500 kunebhomu eyaqhuma eHiroshima).”

Njengoba kulindelekile, umlotha nesihlabathi akuwelanga konke ePhilippines. Imikhemezelo yomlotha yabikwa ngaphesheya kweChina Sea eseNingizimu eVietnam naseCambodia kanye naseSingapore naseMalaysia. Ngisho naseChina, izimo zezulu zathinteka. “Izazi zezinkanyezi ezinomsila ezacashunwa ephephandabeni elingokomthetho [laseChina] ngoLwesithathu zathi intuthu, umlotha namagesi asemoyeni kwakuye kwaphazamisa izimo ezivamile zezulu, kushiya izifunda ezivundile zaseningizimu zibhekene nokomisa kuyilapho amathantala emvula ayena enyakatho.”

EHawaii, uJuly 11 wawuzoletha ukufiphala kwelanga okwakulindelwe ngokulangazela. Nokho, impuqumpuqu yothuli olwanqwabelana emoyeni osemkhathini womhlaba ngenxa yokuqhuma kweNtaba iPinatubo yaholela ekudumaleni kwezinye izazi zesayensi. UDonald Hall, umqondisi weInstitute for Astronomy eYunivesithi yaseHawaii, wathi: “Kubuhlungu kakhulu ukuthi ngemva kokuba ingaqhumi iminyaka engu-600 noma engu-700, lentaba-mlilo ayizange ilinde elinye isonto noma amabili ngaphambi kokuba iqhume.”

Imiphumela Nosizo Olwanikezwa

Okungenani amadolobha angu-18 namadolobhana amabili eduze kweNtaba iPinatubo ahlaselwa ukuwa kwemilotha nesihlabathi okwathatha isikhathi eside. Izinkulungwane zezakhiwo, kuhlanganise namaHholo OMbuso oFakazi BakaJehova angu-8, kwalimala kakhulu lapho izimpahla zivodloka ngenxa yesisindo sesihlabathi, nangenxa yamanzi esiphepho.a Umongameli wasePhilippines, uCorazon Aquino, enkulumweni ayinikeza ngesimo sezwe ngoJuly 22, wachaza: “Ukuqhuma kweNtaba iPinatubo kungokukhulu kunakho konke kulelikhulu leminyaka. . . . Kubi kangangokuthi kuqothule amahekthare akhiqizayo angu-80 000 kwezolimo zethu, futhi kwabhubhisa ezohwebo zezifunda okungenani ezintathu. . . . Bekuyisehlakalo esinamandla kangangokuthi sishanele isikhungo sezempi esikhulu kunazo zonke ePacific.”

Izinkulungwane, kuhlanganise namakhulu oFakazi BakaJehova, kwadingeka zibaleke emakhaya azo nasemisebenzini yazo yokuziphilisa. Njengoba izimemezelo zokuqala zosizo zazifika ehhovisi legatsha leWatch Tower Society ntambama ngo-June 15, izikhungo zokunikeza usizo zamiswa eduze namaHholo OMbuso kanye namaHholo OMhlangano amabili. NgoMsombuluko ekuseni, ngoJune 17, amaqembu amabili oFakazi abavela ehhovisi legatsha aqala ukuthatha uhambo lokuhlola izindawo ezazonakele. Lapho imibiko yawo itholakala ngosuku olulandelayo, izikhonzi ezijikelezayo zayalwa ukuba ziwahambele ngokwengeziwe amabandla oFakazi abathintekile, zibanike ukudla okwengeziwe, amanzi, nemithi. Ngesikhathi esifanayo, izimali zokusiza zamukelwa ihhovisi legatsha zivela koFakazi endaweni yaseMetro Manila nakwezinye izingxenye zezwe ezazingathintwanga ukuqhuma. Abantu abangebona oFakazi BakaJehova babona usizo olwalunikezwa. Omunye umuntu wezwakala ethi: “Nina boFakazi niyacabangela ngempela, nisabela ngokushesha.”

Amalahar—Ingozi Ephikelelayo

Abantu abahlala eLuzon emaphakathi ngokushesha banezela igama elisha enkulumweni yabo, elithi lahar, elisho ukugeleza kodaka olunezingcezu eziningi zentaba-mlilo. INtaba iPinatubo inemithombo yemifudlana nemifula emikhulu okungenani engu-13. Ngisho nakuba ingeyona intaba ephakeme kakhulu, ingamamitha angu-1 760 kuphela, ukunqwabelana komlotha nesihlabathi okungamacubic mitha ayizinkulungwane eziyizigidi ezimbili emithambekeni yayo kwakuzoba okubhubhisa kakhulu ezindaweni ezakhiwe ngasemifuleni. Eqinisweni, ngoMgqibelo, ngoJune 15, okuwusuku lokuqhuma okukhulu, ukugeleza kodaka kakade kwase kukhukhule iPorac, iGuagua, iBacolor, neDolobha iAngeles. Ilahar eyayehla ngoMfula iAbacan eDolobheni iAngeles yadiliza amabhuloho amathathu futhi yavala umgwaqo ohamba izimoto ezigijima kakhulu, kuyilapho eBacolor iHholo LoMbuso loFakazi BakaJehova kanye namakhulu ezindlu zokuhlala kwagcwala udaka. Kusukela ngasekupheleni kukaJuly, amakhaya angaphezu kuka-36 000 ayesebhujisiwe namanye angu-61 000 enomonakalo, isiphelo somonakalo singabonakali.

Nakuba umonakalo endaweni ethintekile umkhulu futhi usongo lomonakalo osengenzeka lulukhulu, umoya ophawulekayo wabantu basePhilippines ekubhekaneni nobunzima obunjalo ngokungatatazeliswa uvalo uyancomeka. IManila Bulletin, ohlwini lwayo lomhleli lukaJune 29, 1991, yaphawula: “Naphezu kweqiniso lokuthi akekho owayelindele ukuqhuma kwePinatubo, abantu endaweni, izikhulu zikahulumeni nomphakathi babonakala bekwazi ukubhekana nesimo. Njengasekuzamazameni komhlaba kwamuva, lokho esikubonayo ikhono labantu bakithi lokukwazi ukubhekana nobunzima. Singasazisa isibindi sabo nokuqina.”

[Umbhalo waphansi]

[Amabalazwe ekhasini 15]

(Ukuze ubone ukuthi indaba ihlelwe kanjani, bheka encwadini)

IPHILIPPINES

IChina

[Ibalazwe]

IPHILIPPINES

INtaba iPinatubo

IDolobha iOlongapo

IManila

ISouth China Sea

[Izithombe ekhasini 16]

Uphahla lweHholo LoMbuso lwavodloka ngenxa yesisindo somlotha, isihlabathi, nemvula