- Title: INDONESIA: Sumatrans start to rebuild after quakes cause death and destruction
- Date: 14th September 2007
- Summary: (BN07) PADANG, SUMATRA, INDONESIA (SEPTEMBER 14, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF DESTROYED HOUSE MAN WALKING IN STREET, CARRYING DEBRIS MORE OF DESTROYED HOUSE HOUSE REDUCED TO RUBBLE WOMAN SEATED OUTSIDE DESTROYED HOUSE VARIOUS OF HOUSE
- Embargoed: 29th September 2007 13:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Indonesia
- Country: Indonesia
- Topics: Disasters / Accidents / Natural catastrophes
- Reuters ID: LVA47TTW3DMZ613NVZBA4MY9NR10
- Story Text: Indonesians begin to clean up after earthquakes kill at least 13 people.
Indonesia's Sumatra has been hit by a series of powerful earthquakes since a magnitude 8.4 quake struck on Wednesday (September 12).
Hundreds of buildings were toppled and at least 13 people killed. Many others were buried under rubble.
Residents in Padang continued to clean up on Friday (September 14).
Houses were reduced to piles of bricks as walls collapsed under the force of the quake.
One resident, Linda, said she doesn't know where to start in the hunt for her belongings.
She was praying at the time the quake struck and everything started shaking. She's how living with her neighbours although their house has also been damaged it's not as bad as her own.
Many buildings in the city centre were missing parts of their roofs and there were cracks in the walls.
In Bengkulu, workers began sifting through what was left of their roof tile factory on Friday (September 14).
Factory owner Musliman said it would cost about 30 to 40 million Indonesian rupiah to get back to business and it could be at least a month before they were up and running.
The region has suffered dozens of aftershocks since Wednesday's big quake, including some over the magnitude of 6 on the Richter scale.
The latest was on Friday afternoon, recorded at 6.9, 153km (95 miles) southwest of Lais Bengkulu. The epicentre was at a depth of 10km (6 miles).
Locals called it another aftershock and the Indonesian meteorology agency lifted its tsunami warning shortly after the tremor struck.
Wednesday's quake took place on the eve of the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, and was felt in neighbouring Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand.
A seismologist said the region was lucky to have escaped a tsunami similar to the one that killed more than 280,000 people in 2004.
Hercules planes carrying emergency aid continue to fly relief to the affected areas.
Medical personnel, drugs and other medicines are also being sent, along with a field hospital.
Indonesia suffers frequent quakes, as it lies on an active seismic belt on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire". - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None