2ND LD: 355 confirmed killed in Sumatra quake, assistance on way

0 Comments | Asian Political News, April 4, 2005

SIBOLGA, Indonesia, March 30 Kyodo

(EDS: UPDATING, ADDING DETAILS)

After two days of conflicting figures, the Indonesian government confirmed that as of Wednesday evening, at least 355 people are dead and 89 others were injured in Monday's magnitude 8.7 earthquake that jolted Nias Island off Sumatra.

The largest fatality reports were 220 from Nias Regency and 100 from South Nias Regency, both on Nias Island in North Sumatra Province, where one person was also killed on the mainland, in the town of Sibolga, according to the government's disaster management relief office.

Meanwhile, on Simeuleu Island in Indonesia's northernmost province of Aceh, 21 people were confirmed dead and 89 others injured. The fatality reports were all from Sinabang, one of the island's eight districts.

''We haven't received any reports from other districts as communications were cut by the quake,'' Simeuleu Regent Darmili told Kyodo News.

Deputy Aceh Gov. Azwar Abubakar said 11 people were killed in the town of Singkil in Aceh Singkil Regency, one in West Aceh Regency and one in South Aceh Regency town of Tapaktuan.

Earlier in the day, Budi Atmaji Adiputro, the spokesman of the disaster management relief office, told Kyodo News according to unconfirmed information from local residents, between 100 and 300 people may have been killed in the remote Banyak Islands near the epicenter of Monday's quake.

He said that the death toll on the island group could exceed that of nearby Nias Island, where relief efforts have been focused.

Confirmation is still needed, the relief office's chief Soewarsono Danukusumo said, because from the air, no significant damage was seen on the islands.

Vice President Jusuf Kalla repeated his statement Wednesday that the overall death toll from the earthquake could reach 2,000.

The Banyak Islands, with a population of between about 4,000 and 5,000, are located just north of Nias, which lies about 200 kilometers west of Sumatra.

According to Danukusumo, the quake forced almost 40,000 people to flee their homes. ''They are taking refuge in higher places as they fear possible tsunamis,'' he said.

A survey by the coordinating body showed that six damaged bridges in Nias' main town of Gunungsitoli. The runway of the town's Binaka Airport was seriously damaged, so aircraft other than helicopters are unable to land.

The coastal road connecting the town with the airport 19 km away was impassable due to a landslide that sent massive boulders cascading down on to the road.

On Simeuleu, Lasikin Airport's terminal and seaport were destroyed, while cracks were seen on some roads.

Danukusumo also said that total blackouts have occurred, while telecommunication facilities were totally destroyed on Nias and Simeuleu. An estimated 83 percent of buildings on Nias Island have been destroyed.

On Tuesday, Indonesian Defense Force Commander Gen. Endriartono Sutarto said Indonesia would welcome foreign military to help it recover from its second big disaster in just over three months.

According to Danukusumo, Singapore is preparing to dispatch 40 rescuers, while 20 rescuers from Malaysia are ready to go. A team from France, which was in Aceh for an emergency relief operation following the Dec. 26 earthquake and tsunamis, is on the way to Nias.

Two U.N. assessment teams also arrived on Nias as well as two Indonesian naval vessels that brought food, tents and other basic supplies.

An 11-member Japanese medical team arrived in Jakarta on Wednesday and is scheduled to arrive on Nias on Thursday to provide medical assistance to the injured.

The Japanese group consists of 11 medical workers, including doctors and nurses. About half the members worked in Sri Lanka and other areas affected by the Dec. 26 tsunamis.

Australian Associated Press reported that more than 60 rescue and medical personnel were on board two C-130 aircraft that left Sydney on Wednesday, carrying medical supplies and humanitarian aid for the quake-stricken region.

Television footage showed residents on Nias and Simeuleu searching frantically through collapsed buildings for survivors, using their hands to sift through rubble in the absence of heavy equipment. But the rescue of trapped victims has been hampered by almost constant rain.

The quake's magnitude was measured at 8.7 by the U.S. Geological Survey and 8.5 by the Japan Meteorological Agency. It was felt in Indonesia, Malaysia, Singapore and as far north as Bangkok, but no casualties have been reported in those countries.

Nias Island, which has a population of by 697,592, is one of the world's best surfing breaks and also boasts an ancient megalithic culture. It was not immediately clear, however, whether there were foreign tourists on the island at the time of the disaster.

Simeuleu is a 2,051-square-km isolated island with a population of 66,853.