Indonesia puts quake-tsunami death toll up to 40,000, more aids pleaged
29/12/2004 17:21
The Indonesian government said Wednesday the death toll from Sunday's
earthquake and tidal waves could reach 40,000 in Aceh and North Sumatra
provinces as more countries are pledging assistance. "Today our estimation is
around 30,000-40,000 dead. Aceh's population is about 4.5 million with 300,000
in Banda Aceh," Kalla told diplomats at a meeting. Earlier, The Indonesian
Ministry of Health said the country's death toll from the earthquake and the
following tsunamis has climbed to over 30,000 so far. As massive rescue work
is still going on, more dead bodies would be discovered and there are at least
1,100 people listed missing, officials said. Vice President Jusuf Kalla said
the number of injured people in the disaster was estimated at 500,000. "The
government needs at least US$150 million for reconstruction," he said in a
meeting with envoys of several countries. He said the reconstruction period
will take five years. In a meeting with several ambassadors, Indonesia
received pledged of relief supplies for victims of the disaster. The Chinese
government pledged to extend US$600,000 worth of aid in the form of blankets,
tents and canned-food, while the South Korean government would send US$150,000
worth of assistance and a medical team. The Japanese government, meanwhile,
would send US$1.87 million worth of aid in the form of generators, tents,
blankets, food, drinking water and cooking oil and the Singaporean government
pledged to send a medical team and medicines. The Australian government would
provide water tanks and temporary shelters and four Hercules planes along with
10 medical experts.
Xinhua
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