ID :
82667
Fri, 10/02/2009 - 14:49
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/82667
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EARTHQUAKE: SUSILO SEEKS HELPS FROM MALAYSIA, NEIGHBOURING COUNTRIES
JAKARTA, Oct 1 (Bernama) - Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono
welcomes Malaysia and other countries to help provide emergency aid to victims
of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which hit the western Sumatra province
Wednesday.
He hoped that in the spirit of Asean cooperation, the neighbouring countries
could provide immediate aid to areas affected by the disaster.
He said this on arrival at the Halim Perdanakusumah Airport here on his
return from a working visit to the United States of America and meeting with his
cabinet ministers.
A report by detikcom quoted Susilo as saying that Indonesia appreciated the
offer of assistance from neighbouring countries.
He said when an earthquake of 7.2 on the Richter scale hit West Java last
month, the Indonesia government rejected foreign assistance because the incident
was not serious.
Meanwhile, National Defence Forces (TNI) Chief Gen Joko Santoso said
several countries had offered to send their soldiers to help find victims still
trapped in the rubble.
The armed forces in Malaysia, Australia, Singapore and America had offered
assistance for evacuation process, he added.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the earthquake has yet to be ascertained with
reports giving the figures at 215 to almost 500 people as at noon Thursday while
the search and rescue mission is still in progress.
The Indonesian government, however, estimated the death toll to be in
thousands as many of the victims were still trapped under the rubble of more
than 1,000 buildings, including hotels and houses, which were damaged in the
incident.
As at noon Thursday, the local authority estimated more than 100 people to
be still trapped in Hotel Ambacang, when the building collapsed, and more than
60 students, in a three-storey building which housed their tuition classes.
Information released by the disaster centre at the west Sumatra governor's
office confirmed 215 people were killed in three locations worst hit by the
quake -- Kota Padang (139), Padang Pariaman (62) and Kota Pariaman (14).
On Thursday morning, several tremors of between 5.1 and 7.0 on the Richter
scale occurred in several locations in Sumatra.
The Indonesian authority has declared an emergency in the western Sumatra
province and various assistance, include medicine, food and beverages, had been
sent to the area.
In KUALA LUMPUR, the Overseas Umno Club is donating RM10,000 (US$2,883) for
Malaysian students affected by the earthquake in Padang.
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is chairman of the club,
said the donation would be handed to the Malaysian Students Department (MSD)
director in Indonesia, Dr. Junaidy Abu Bakar.
The club would also request assistance from the Malaysian Embassy in
Jakarta and MSD for information on other assistance required by the students, he
said in a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile, Mercy Malaysia had deployed its senior programme support officer,
Maria Lauranti, and a medical volunteer, Oh Boon Hann, to Padang to conduct
on-the-ground assessment to determine the humanitarian needs of the
disaster-struck victims.
In a statement, Mercy said it had engaged its Indonesian volunteer, Azrim
Mirza, stationed in Medan, to conduct an assessment prior to the deployment of
the Malaysian team.
An initial RM100,000 (US$28,830) has been allocated from the emergency fund
to respond to this recent disaster," it said.
Concerned Malaysians also can donate to Mercy Malaysia Humanitarian Fund
through Maybank, account number 5621-7950-4126 or CIMB Bank, account number
1424-000-6561053.
-- BERNAMA
welcomes Malaysia and other countries to help provide emergency aid to victims
of the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which hit the western Sumatra province
Wednesday.
He hoped that in the spirit of Asean cooperation, the neighbouring countries
could provide immediate aid to areas affected by the disaster.
He said this on arrival at the Halim Perdanakusumah Airport here on his
return from a working visit to the United States of America and meeting with his
cabinet ministers.
A report by detikcom quoted Susilo as saying that Indonesia appreciated the
offer of assistance from neighbouring countries.
He said when an earthquake of 7.2 on the Richter scale hit West Java last
month, the Indonesia government rejected foreign assistance because the incident
was not serious.
Meanwhile, National Defence Forces (TNI) Chief Gen Joko Santoso said
several countries had offered to send their soldiers to help find victims still
trapped in the rubble.
The armed forces in Malaysia, Australia, Singapore and America had offered
assistance for evacuation process, he added.
Meanwhile, the death toll in the earthquake has yet to be ascertained with
reports giving the figures at 215 to almost 500 people as at noon Thursday while
the search and rescue mission is still in progress.
The Indonesian government, however, estimated the death toll to be in
thousands as many of the victims were still trapped under the rubble of more
than 1,000 buildings, including hotels and houses, which were damaged in the
incident.
As at noon Thursday, the local authority estimated more than 100 people to
be still trapped in Hotel Ambacang, when the building collapsed, and more than
60 students, in a three-storey building which housed their tuition classes.
Information released by the disaster centre at the west Sumatra governor's
office confirmed 215 people were killed in three locations worst hit by the
quake -- Kota Padang (139), Padang Pariaman (62) and Kota Pariaman (14).
On Thursday morning, several tremors of between 5.1 and 7.0 on the Richter
scale occurred in several locations in Sumatra.
The Indonesian authority has declared an emergency in the western Sumatra
province and various assistance, include medicine, food and beverages, had been
sent to the area.
In KUALA LUMPUR, the Overseas Umno Club is donating RM10,000 (US$2,883) for
Malaysian students affected by the earthquake in Padang.
Youth and Sports Minister Ahmad Shabery Cheek, who is chairman of the club,
said the donation would be handed to the Malaysian Students Department (MSD)
director in Indonesia, Dr. Junaidy Abu Bakar.
The club would also request assistance from the Malaysian Embassy in
Jakarta and MSD for information on other assistance required by the students, he
said in a statement Thursday.
Meanwhile, Mercy Malaysia had deployed its senior programme support officer,
Maria Lauranti, and a medical volunteer, Oh Boon Hann, to Padang to conduct
on-the-ground assessment to determine the humanitarian needs of the
disaster-struck victims.
In a statement, Mercy said it had engaged its Indonesian volunteer, Azrim
Mirza, stationed in Medan, to conduct an assessment prior to the deployment of
the Malaysian team.
An initial RM100,000 (US$28,830) has been allocated from the emergency fund
to respond to this recent disaster," it said.
Concerned Malaysians also can donate to Mercy Malaysia Humanitarian Fund
through Maybank, account number 5621-7950-4126 or CIMB Bank, account number
1424-000-6561053.
-- BERNAMA
