4 000 buried by Indonesia quake

2009-10-03 08:00

Jakarta - Up to 4 000 people are still trapped in rubble following the devastating 7.6-magnitude quake that struck Indonesia this week, the UN and Red Cross told AFP on Saturday.

"We estimate about 3 000 to 4 000 people are still trapped or buried under the rubble," UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Indonesia El-Mostafa Benlamlih told AFP.

Bob McKerrow, head of the Indonesia delegation of the International Federation of the Red Cross and Red Crescent Society, said his estimate was 4 000, based on his tour of the city of Padang and surrounding countryside.

"We're up to 4 000. People don't like those figures out - they don't want the families to be grieving too much," he told AFP.

Indonesia on Friday appealed for foreign aid as overwhelmed rescuers searched for victims. Official figures from Indonesia indicate that at least 1 100 people were killed.

- SAPA