Indonesia earthquake death toll rises to 11; more buried under tons of mud
- Rescuers still searching for villagers believed to be buried under tons of mud that tumbled down from hills in Bukit Lintang village in Pasaman
- Nearly 400 people were injured in the earthquake whose tremors were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore
Rescuers on Indonesia’s Sumatra island retrieved more bodies Sunday from a strong earthquake two days ago, raising the death toll to 11 while another 400 were injured and thousands displaced.
The body of the latest victim was recovered from the rubble of homes toppled by the magnitude 6.2 earthquake that shook West Sumatra province on Friday morning, said National Disaster Mitigation Agency spokesperson Abdul Muhari.
Six people died in Pasaman district and another five in neighbouring West Pasaman district, he said. Rescuers were still searching for four villagers believed to be buried under tons of mud that tumbled down from the surrounding hills in Bukit Lintang village in Pasaman.
Television reports showed panicked people rushing into the streets in Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, and patients in a hospital in West Pasaman being evacuated from the building. The reports also showed streams filled with mud from landslides triggered by the earthquake, and a mosque, a school and several houses that were flattened.
Nearly 400 people were injured by the earthquake whose tremors were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore, and about 42 people were still receiving treatment, Muhari said.