On March 30, a woman walks past ruined houses with her children in Gunung Sitoli after an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Nias on Tuesday. Survivors combed the rubble of buildings looking for loved ones as reports emerged of additional deaths on a nearby island group.(Photo: Reuters)

Sibolga, a port city in Indonesia's North Sumatra Island, is serving as a coordination center for relief efforts for the Nias Island, sources told Xinhua here Wednesday.
The island was hit hard by a great earthquake measuring 8.5 on the Richter scale Monday night. At least 430 people have been officially confirmed dead in the overnight catastrophe and 85 percent buildings were destroyed on the island.
An official relief efforts coordination center has been established in the Sibolga Airport on Tuesday to arrange the transportation of medicine, food and other material to Nias, some 206 kilometers away from here, heavy equipment contractor Babudi told Xinhua.
Relief goods can be transported to Nias either by helicopter or ship, said Babudi, who is responsible for providing 15 pieces of heavy equipment such as excavators and tractors for the relief work.
Two ships of medical materials were shipped to the island from the port Tuesday and this is the second batch of medicine for the victims, he said, adding that the first batch was moved there by helicopter.
More than 100 vehicles loaded with relief goods are still waiting in the port city to go for Nias by rolling ship, he said, adding that it will take eight to nine hours for a ship to arrive in Nias from Sibolga.