By Mulyanda Djohan
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Rescuers carry a victim's body in the Sumatran city of Padang, Indonesia, on Oct. 2, 2009. 1,100 people were killed in a powerful earthquake Wednesday evening and the number could rise to thousands as many people were still trapped in the debris. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
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Residents clean the rubble of a collapsed building in the Sumatran city of Padang, Indonesia, on Oct. 2, 2009. 1,100 people were killed in a powerful earthquake Wednesday evening and the number could rise to thousands as many people were still trapped in the debris. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
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PADANG, Indonesia, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Over 3,000 rescuers, including soldiers, policemen, paramedics, fire fighters and volunteers, are striving to evacuate the victims of Wednesday's strong quake in West Sumatra province of Sumatra island.
In the provincial capital of Padang, rescuers are attempting to evacuate a lecturer from a collapsed building. She was trapped with 16 other people under the debris -- they are having a lesson when the earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit and destroyed the whole building.
With very simple and manual equipment, rescuers are trying to pull out the lecturer, who is among more than 1,000 people estimated trapped under building debris.
Paramedics are standby in the scene to give an initial help. They are equipped with an ambulance, infuse equipment, Oxygen supplier and equipment to treat broken bone.
"The problem is that many of the victims are hemmed in the cement, we must be very careful to pull them out, " military officer named only Indra G told Xinhua.
Edy Asry, a fire fighter, said that the rescuers must find out how many people were still alive and how many dead bodies were possibly under the debris before operating heavy machinery equipment.
"We have to make sure the survivors not to be hurt during the evacuation, and dead bodies not to be damaged," he said.
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People queue for petrol outside a gas station in Padang, Indonesia, on October 2, 2009. A major earthquake took place in Indonesia Wednesday has caused petrol shortage in Padang. (Xinhua/Yue Yuewei)
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Family of the victims came to the scene with very sad feeling, some of them cried, expecting the rescuers could evacuate the victims.
"My friends and I really hope that the rescuers can save life of our friend from the damage building," said Rahma Wati, a student whose friend is among those being rescued.
UN dispatches relief effort to Indonesia's quake-stricken West Sumatra
JAKARTA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The United Nations deployed its staff, resources and relief supplies to the earthquake-devastated West Sumatra and coordinating the relief efforts of the international humanitarian community, a local media reported here on Friday. Full story
Indonesia's quake toll raises to 451
PADANG, Indonesia, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- The number of fatalities of the 7.6 magnitude quake in West Sumatra of Indonesia has reached 451, the local Disaster Management Agency reported here on Friday, but Health Ministry said the figure has reached more than 750. Full story
Indonesia's quake hit-Sumatra needs $300-400 mln for rehabilitation
JAKARTA, Oct. 2 (Xinhua) -- Indonesia's Vice President Jusuf Kalla said that rehabilitation for damaged infrastructures and buildings in the earthquake-hit areas in Sumatra Island will need 3-4 trillion rupiah (about 300-400 million U.S. dollars), the private news portal Kompas.com reported on Friday. Full story
