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Death toll in Indonesia earthquake rises to 777

(Agencies)
Updated: 2009-10-02 03:23

PADANG, Indonesia: Rescue workers pulled victims, some screaming in pain, from the heavy rubble of buildings felled by a powerful earthquake that killed at least 777 people. The death toll was still expected to rise.

Residents look at the wreckage of a house in Padang, West Sumatra province October 1, 2009. Rescue teams struggled on Thursday to find people trapped under debris after a powerful earthquake hit Padang, possibly killing thousands. [Agencies]

The brunt of Wednesday's 7.6-magnitude earthquake, which originated in the sea off Sumatra island, appeared to have been borne by the city of Padang, where a government official said most the dead came from.

The region was jolted by another powerful earthquake Thursday morning, causing damage but no reported fatalities.

Related readings:  Thousands feared dead after Indonesia quake  2nd quake shakes Indonesia after temblor kills 529  5.9 quake in Peru, no signs of damage  Quake triggers tsunami in the Samoas, killing 99  Small tsunami hit Japan after Samoa quake

More than 500 buildings including hotels, schools, hospitals and a mall were destroyed or damaged in Padang. Thousands of people were still believed to be trapped in the rubble, said Rustam Pakaya, head of the Health Ministry's crisis center. Workers used backhoes to shift debris.

The government official told The Associated Press that at least 777 people are confirmed to have died in the quake, with about 300 seriously injured. The official spoke on condition of anonymity because he is not authorized to speak to the media. He said most of the dead were in Padang.

"Oh God, help me! help me!" Friska Yuniwati, a 30-year-old woman, screamed in pain, as she was carried to an ambulance in downtown Padang. She had been pulled out minutes earlier from the rubble of a house, her face covered in bruises and eyes shut.

John Lee, a Singaporean guest at the flattened Maryani hotel, was pulled free by rescue workers who heard his cries for help. He had been trapped for 25 hours with a broken leg.

Padang's state-run Djamil Hospital was overwhelmed by the influx of victims and families. Dozens of injured people were being treated under tents outside the hospital, which was itself partly damaged.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono pledged to do "everything we can" to help the victims.

"Let's not underestimate (the disaster). Let's be prepared for the worst," Yudhoyono said in Jakarta before flying to Padang, a coastal city of 900,000 and capital of West Sumatra province.

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