EARTHQUAKE'S DEATH TOLL REACHES 359 IN PADANG PARIAMAN

Padang, West Sumatra, Oct. 11 (ANTARA) - The death toll from the recent powerful earthquake that devastated West Sumatra province reached 359 in Padang Pariaman district alone.

Most of the fatalities occurred in Patamuan and V Koto Timur sub districts where the deaths numbered 73 and 67 respectively, according to provisional data of the West Sumatra Natural Disaster Mitigation Task Force on Saturday.

The fatalities in Padang Pariaman District were found at the su districts of Batang Gasan (6 deaths), Sungai Limua (35), V Koto Kampun Dalam (24), IV Koto Aur Malingtang (11), Sungai Geringging (10), V Koto Timur (54), Patamuan (73), VII Koto Sei Sarik (28), 2x11 Enam Lingkung (21), 2x11 Kayu Tanam (3), Sintuk Toboh Gadang (5),
Lubuk Alung (13), Batang Anai (2), Nan Sabaris (14), Ulakan Tapakis (12), Padang Sago (20), and Enam Lingkungan (12).
The magnitude-7.6 earthquake also seriously injured 572 people and 528 others lightly in the Padang Pariaman District. Meanwhile, some 4,305 houses were destroyed, 11,547 others were moderately damaged, and 70,988 were slightly damaged.

The quake had also forced hundreds of people to flee their homes.

The deadly earthquake, which hit West Sumatra on September 30, 2009, was centered 78 km northwest of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province, at a depth of 71 km below sea level.

The death toll in West Sumatra Province from the powerful earthquake rose to 805 on Friday evening.
Besides Padang Pariaman District, other fatalities were found in Padang City (312), Pariaman City (37 people), Pesisir Selatan District (9), Solok (3), Agam District (80), and West Pasaman District (3).

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

In December 2004, a 8.9-magnitude earthquake along the same fault line caused a tsunami in Aceh that killed more than 200,000 people and made around one million people homeless.