Indonesia Quake Deaths Pass 1000, Call for International Aid

World | October 2, 2009, Friday // 08:29|  views

An earthquake victim lays down at Siti Rahma Hospital in Padang, West Sumatra, Indonesia, after a powerful earthquake rocked western Indonesia, 01 October 2009. Photo by EPA/BGNES

Rescue teams have resumed the desperate search for survivors following a devastating earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra.

Many people are thought to be trapped under rubble after the 7,6-magnitude quake struck on Wednesday.

The death toll already stands at more than 1 000, according to the UN, and officials say they expect it to rise, the BBC reported.

On Friday, Indonesian Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari appealed for foreign aid to help the rescue effort.

"We need them to provide skilled rescuers with equipment. Our main problem is that there are a lot of victims still trapped in the rubble. We are struggling to pull them out."

The quake struck close to the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, bringing scores of buildings crashing to the ground.

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Tags: Indonesia, Sumatra, Earthquake, Padang, rescue teams, death toll

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