Fears of Second Tsunami Subside as Body Count Rises from Indonesia Quake

Indonesia today is recovering from another huge earthquake that hit the Indian Ocean on Monday night. Initial estimates have seen fears of another tsunami tragedy subside but it is still feared that at least 1,000 may have died.

On the Nias Island of Indonesia desperate efforts have begun to find survivors among the piles of rubble from fallen buildings in the disaster. As rescuers endeavour to save people buried many relatives, friends and those in shock were seen crying on the streets – many in despair at finding the bodies of their loved ones.

The earthquake which hit at about 16.15 GMT (23:15pm local time) registered 8.7 on the Richter Scale and triggered a huge tsunami warning to be declared across Indonesia, Thailand, Sri Lanka, Malaysia, Singapore and India. Reports state that thousands fled the coastal areas anxiously seeking higher ground in fear of a repeat of the Boxing Day tsunami which saw 50-foot high waves hit the coastlines at up 500-miles per hour.

Officials have said that fears of a repeat of the December tragedy have gone unfulfilled, but Indonesia have predicted that up to 2,000 deaths are likely to be registered as the devastation is cleared away.

The United Nations (UN) and scores of relief agencies have rushed ferry supplies to the island of Nias, Indonesia – which bore a majority of the impact of the earthquake.

Despite huge devastating effects from the latest earthquake, a huge feeling of relief has spread across the globe as the seas failed to rise up in the hours after the earthquake hit. However, tension remained as at least 13 after-shocks have been registered between magnitudes of 5.0 to 6.1 since the earthquake took place.

Associated Press have reported that in Guntung Sitoli, the biggest town on the island with an approximately population of 600,000, many residents have been seen huddled around candles in the streets – too afraid to go back in doors with after-shocks being regularly felt resulting in buildings swaying menacingly.

A spokesperson for Indonesia’s Coordinating Agency for National Disaster Relief has said that today rescuers have found more than 330 bodies among rubble. The death toll is still expected to rise as more and more rubble is cleared away.

Vice-President Jusuf Kalla reported that he expected the death-count to rise up to 1,000-2,000 based on the number of buildings destroyed. Other officials however attempted to calm fears by reporting that the figure would more likely be in the hundreds and not the thousands.

The epicentre of the quake measuring 8.7 was again located under the sea-bed, some 155 miles south-southeast of Banda Aceh, the capital of the Aceh province on Sumatra Island. It was just 200 miles south of the 26 December tremor which sent giant waves crashing into 12 coastal nations in Asia and Africa.

Yayasan Tanggul Bencana (YTB) and YAKKUM Emergency Unit (YEU) are already present in the area and are coordinating their relief efforts. YTB will concentrate on providing food items to affected people and is getting rice, baby food, and mineral water ready for distribution to the affected area.

On the other hand, another ACT partner Church World Service Indonesia (CWS) is contributing non-food items. They have prepared 25 boxes of medicine, 1,000 units of non-food packages and 500 tents to be distributed. Both YTB and CWS distribution will be flown to the region tomorrow coordinated by CWS.

YEU will provide emergency medical services and has sent three medical doctors and a nurse by helicopter from Jakarta directly to Nias.

The ACT Coordinating Office in Geneva has approved the allocation of US$500,000 to relief efforts related to the latest disaster.

Jan Egeland, the UN's emergency relief coordinator, said UN helicopters flew early Tuesday over Sumatra to survey the damage with the worry that many of the structures that were damaged in the first major earthquake may collapse.