Death toll surges in Sumatra
PADANG – As authorities continued their frantic search for survivors of the earthquake in Sumatra , a powerful 6.3-magnitude earthquake struck off Tonga and the Samoan islands, two days after a giant tremor caused a devastating tsunami which killed almost 150.
The latest South Pacific eruption was 370 kilometres from American Samoa capital Pago Pago, which was hard-hit by this week’s 8.0 earthquake and tsunami.
In Padang, Sumatra, rescue workers continued their search for hundreds of victims who are feared trapped under four three-story buildings during a powerful earthquake on Wednesday.
The flattened buildings included a restaurant, a toy shop, a cellular phone counter and an after-school course building.
At least 1,100 people have died in the earthquake, the UN humanitarian chief has said.
John Holmes said many hundreds more had been injured, and both figures were set to rise further.
The earthquake brought down hospitals, hotels, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides.
More than a 100 Australians remain unaccounted for in the devastated Indonesian earthquake zone, with consular officials searching resorts and hospitals in a bid to find them.
“There were 249 Australian residents in the affected area. Of these, we’ve already confirmed the safety of 137 through contacting resorts and the next of kin,” a Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade spokeswoman said.
Ian Jarrett
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