Indonesia is braced for what rescue workers said would be a “very, very big” death toll after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake tore through the island of Sumatra, reducing hundreds of buildings to rubble and trapping thousands of people in the wreckage of their homes.
One official estimated more than 1,000 people may have lost their lives.
Across Padang – the closest major city to the epicentre – mass panic reigned for hours after a power cut plunged the streets into darkness and rumours of a tsunami provoked fears of a second onslaught. By midnight, residents of Padang, a city of 900,000 people, said that they had still seen no signs of concerted relief efforts.
Survivors interviewed on local radio stations described a human stampede as hundreds, fearing a repeat of the catastrophic Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004, sought higher ground. A tsunami warning was issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii, but was cancelled shortly afterwards.
As night fell across Sumatra on Wednesday, over 75 people were known to have died in the quake, which struck late in the afternoon around 30 miles off the island’s northwest coast. Many more are thought to have been injured as glass, concrete and other debris smashed down from higher buildings onto people in the streets below.
But Indonesia’s Vice President, Jusuf Kalla, warned that both the death and casualty figures could soar on Thursday morning once rescue teams have made their way to the worst-hit city of Padang and the grim task of digging through the rubble in search of survivors begins.
The timing of the tremor may have added significantly to its deadliness, according to seismic disaster experts in Tokyo. The quake struck just as many families were cooking their evening meal and restaurants were beginning to serve. Fires are known to have broken out across Padang and were seen to be burning out of control in several parts of the city.
Tomorrow’s rescue efforts are expected to be especially difficult. The quake has cut electricity to virtually every part of Padang and water mains are also thought to have burst and begun flooding the foundations of collapsed buildings.
Early reports from eyewitnesses and local television footage suggested that, even in a part of the world used to deadly seismic events, the quake was unusually destructive. Shops, schools and homes were reportedly shaken to the ground.
As the tremors began, many people ran out into the streets – a response that may have saved them from being crushed by their own homes, but exposed them to other fatal dangers as buildings collapsed around them.
Major structures, including bridges, several hotels, an entire hospital and the roof of Padang’s airport are thought to have collapsed, potentially killing hundreds. Rahmat Triyono, the head of Indonesia’s tsunami warning agency said that communications with Padang had been cut and that it could take many hours for teams to fully assess the damage.
The quake rattled buildings across the region. Office towers in Jakarta and the Malaysian capital of Kuala Lumpur swayed for minutes after the initial impact.
Order By:
Would you like to post a comment? Please register or log in
.buyingguide_border { border-left: solid 1px #cccccc; border-right: solid 1px #cccccc; border-top: solid 1px #cccccc; border-bottom: solid 1px #cccccc; padding:10px;} @import "http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/css/tol.css"; @import "http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/css/typography.css"; @import "http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/css/typography.css"; @import "http://extras.timesonline.co.uk/css/print.css"; 60th ANNIVERSARY
China after 60 years of communism
Hundreds of people killed and tens of thousands homeless
Nothing has been left to chance for the grandest martial parade in the history of modern China
Muslims across the world celebrate the end of the holy month of Ramadan
Times experts explain the issues behind the headlines
Explore Newcastle Gateshead with the award-winning childrens author David Almond
Industry sectors news at a glance. Interactive heatmap, video and podcast
Everything the Business Traveller needs to know to make a better trip
Read Full Article »