Sumatran Doctors Struggle as Quake Death Toll Rises to 1,100

[Turborama]

Source: Bloomberg

By Soraya Permatasari and Achmad Sukarsono - The death toll from the earthquake off Indonesia’s Sumatra island rose to at least 1,100 as doctors trying to treat hundreds of injured people struggled with a shortage of space, medicine and fuel for electricity.

John Holmes, the United Nations humanitarian chief, told a press briefing in New York yesterday that at least 1,100 were killed in the 7.6-magnitude quake on Sept. 30. The toll will probably rise as rescuers are able to reach damaged areas, he said. Indonesia’s National Disaster Management Agency earlier in the day put the death toll at 230.

At Siti Rahma Islamic hospital, 15 kilometers (9 miles) west of Padang, where the temblor destroyed hundreds of buildings, Susi Rahmawati, a 30-year-old doctor, had been working since dawn yesterday treating more than 100 patients who spilled out into the hallways. It was dusk, and the hospital had enough fuel to operate for three more hours.

“The situation is really bad,” Rahmawati, dressed in blue trousers, a blue shirt and gray headscarf, said. “We don’t have enough doctors and nurses. We’re really hoping that we get more medical supplies because we are running out of them.”

Rescuers were racing to save as many people as they can from the rubble of crushed homes, schools, mosques, commercial buildings and shops. Thousands were still trapped in the wreckage, the disaster agency said.

Read more: http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601081&sid=a0QIZstJ7gLo

[Turborama]

1. Video shows moment Sumatra quake hit

Video footage has emerged showing the moment on Wednesday afternoon when a powerful earthquake struck the Indonesian city of Padang.

Raw footage with some Indonesian commentary: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8SoVzGJ0ifU

Sumatra quake death toll climbs

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Almost 48 hours after the quake struck, many districts around Padang remained inaccessible to emergency services and officials have said the number of dead was likely rise yet further as the full scale of the disaster emerged.

Rustam Pakaya, the head of Indonesia's health ministry crisis centre, said he believed that "thousands have died".

With aid supplies beginning to arrive in force in Padang on Friday, more heavy equipment was visible around the worst hit parts of the city as rescuers raced to search for survivors trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.

However, Indonesia's health minister said far more help was needed and issued an urgent call for more foreign aid in the form of rescue and recovery equipment, as well as medics to treat wounded survivors.

"We need help from foreign countries for evacuation efforts. We need them to provide skilled rescuers with equipment," Siti Fadilah Supari told reporters in Jakarta.

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

Read more (links to more videos, too): http://english.aljazeera.net/news/asia-pacific/2009/10/20091022410705730.html