Indonesia earthquake: Seven Australians missing in Padang
- By staff writers and wires
- From: news.com.au
- Thu Oct 01 18:21:00 EST 2009 Thu Oct 01 18:21:00 EST 2009
- Pictures: Earthquake devastates Sumatra
- Records: Biggest earthquakes ever
- Manila: 'Super typhoon' building
SEVEN Australians are missing in the Indonesian surfing mecca of Padang following a 7.6-magnitude earthquake which has killed 464 people and buried thousands.
Foreign Minister Stephen Smith said half of the 14 Australians known to be in Padang, located in western Sumatra, at the time of the quake have been located.
"In the area concerned there are 14 Australians who are registered or we know are in the area, we've made contact with seven of those and we're doing our best to contact the remaining seven," he said.
A group of Australian officials has being dispatched to Sumatra to assist any Australians caught up in the tragedy and assess humanitarian assistance needs.
Mr Smith's comments follow the Indonesian Health Ministry's prediction that thousands of people were likely killed in the Indonesian earthquake that struck Sumatra last night.
A second earthquake was recorded shortly before noon (AEST) today - it had a magnitude of 7.0 and struck 150km south of the epicentre.
Padang devastated
Five hundred buildings in Padang collapsed or were badly damaged, Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said.
"Two hundred bodies have been pulled from the rubble. The extent of damage in surrounding areas is still unclear due to poor communications," he said.
Padang is a popular destination for Australian surfers heading to the nearby Mentawais Islands.
Surfing Australia chief executive Andrew Stark said: "The Mentawais Islands have the very best surfing waves on the planet. It’s the best surfing in the world.
"There can be up to 35-40 boats in the water at any time, so we have big concerns that there will be Australian surfers that may have been coming in and out of Padang.
"The surf season starts from April until late September in Sumatra and Australian surfers visit Indonesia in the thousands, so we have serious concerns for the safety of Australian and all surfers.
"Australians usually fly into Padang before heading out on surf charters, or staying in surf resorts. So there will absolutely be Aussies caught up in the impact.”
Two Australian surfers who were reported missing were among those located today. Luke Kennedy, acting editor of Tracks magazine where the two worked, said there would be many surfers in Padang.
"(We have) major concerns for any Australian surfers that are based in Indonesia. We also have great sympathy ... with the Indonesian people who are going to be affected by this," he said.
Australian Red Cross said their local office was handling the disaster and hadn’t requested additional help, but that they were on stand-by to help should it be required.
Fears for loved ones
News.com.au readers have expressed concerns about friends and family caught up in the Padang quake.
Gwen Burns said her sister, a heath professional who has worked in the area for eight months, ran out of her Padang hotel room in a panic with her laptop, purse and "just the clothes on her back". The building collapsed shortly after.
"She is my little sister and I am so worried about her and what she went through last night, with no power, no where to go, no communication," she said.
"She was in tears and really shaken."
Meanwhile Malcolm Robertson said his son arrived in Penang yesterday for a 12 day off-shore surfing holiday. He received a text last night saying he was OK but hopes he is out to sea rather than on land.
"I think they must have got out of the airport and made it to the boat OK. Maybe they left harbour, thinking there would be a tsunami. In which case, it’s best to be out at sea," he said.
Earlier today, Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono said: "The effects of the earthquake could be as big as the Yogyakarta quake."
He was referring to a 2006 quake that killed nearly 6000.
The tragedy comes just a day after an earthquake and tsunami hit Samoa and American Samoa, killing 148 people, including five Australians.
Australians dead and missing after tsunami
DFAT emergency helpline: 1300 555 135
Local media reported that panicked residents rushed from their homes during the quake, which struck off Sumatra's west coast at 5pm (8pm AEST), 47km northwest of Padang.
Indonesian tsunami warning head Rahmat Triyono said the agency did not release a tsunami alert.
The Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre in Hawaii however issued a tsunami watch for Indonesia, Malaysia, India and Thailand, but later cancelled it.
The quake was felt in the capital Jakarta, 940km away, and sent frightened office workers streaming out of buildings in nearby Singapore and the Malaysian capital Kuala Lumpur.
With AAP, AFP and Reuters
Forced evacuations for 'super typhoon'
News.com.au
Thu Oct 01 20:47:00 EST 2009
THE Philippines police say they will forcibly evacuate residents refusing to leave their homes in the direct path of an approaching super typhoon.
The order for a "pre-emptive evacuation" was handed down by Defence Secretary Gilberto Teodoro "in line with our zero casualty target", national police spokesman Leopoldo Bataoil said.
He said the order covered communities in the shorelines of Cagayan province in the north-eastern seaboard of Luzon island, where Typhoon Parma was expected to make landfall on Saturday afternoon.
The state weather bureau said Parma was expected to develop into a super typhoon, equivalent to a category four hurricane that could cause widespread damage.
Already packing gusts of up to 185km/hr, Parma was still building up strength as it churned towards the eastern side of the Philippines, officials said.
It comes just days after storm Ketsana caused the heaviest flooding in over four decades in Manila and nearby areas, killing 277 and affecting more than 2.5 million.
Chief Superintendent Roberto Damian, commander of the region that covers Cagayan, said residents would be asked politely to leave when the typhoon begins lashing the area.
"We will first appeal on them to leave but if we see that they are in immediate danger, we will forcibly carry them to evacuation centres," he said.
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