154 killed in Indonesia tsunami
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The death toll of tsunami in West Sumatra of Indonesia has reached 154 people, while 400 others are still missing, an Indonesian official said on Wednesday.
![People try to reach their relatives by mobile phone as they flee to higher ground in Padang, West Sumatra, on October 25, 2010. [Xinhua]](http://images.china.cn/attachement/jpg/site1007/20101027/000cf1bdd03f0e31b95002.jpg "People try to reach their relatives by mobile phone as they flee to higher ground in Padang, West Sumatra, on October 25, 2010. [Xinhua]") |
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People try to reach their relatives by mobile phone as they flee to higher ground in Padang, West Sumatra, on October 25, 2010. [Xinhua] |
The tsunami hit two islands of Pagai Selatan Mentawai and Pagai Utara Mentawai in West Sumatra after the 7.2 magnitude quake.
According to the official from the crisis center in Padang, as many as 154 people were killed, 400 are missing. And the Tsunami also left 40 injured and 2100 homeless.
Meanwhile, 579 houses are heavily damaged and 300 got mild damage.
Medical team has been dispatched to the scene and they took with them 200 body bags, said Mujiharjo.
The Meteorology and Geophysics Agency admitted that small tsunamis occurred five minutes after the mainshock at 7.2 magnitude at 21:42 p.m. Jakarta time Monday (1442 GMT), although it lifted the warning about half a hour after the mainshock.
"The tsunami occurred with the height at 0.461 meters," an official of the agency named only Sutiyono told Xinhua by phone.
But, a report said that the height of the water reached 3 meters high in Silabu village at Pagaiutara Mentawai island, head of crisis center of Health Ministry named only Mujiharto told Xinhua by phone.
Edward said that the tsunami also destroyed one bridge and five houses.
But, head of crisis center said that 80 percent of the houses at Betumonga village at Pagaiutara Mentawai island have been levelled. One tourist boat loaded with eight Australian citizens and 5 crew members has lost contact, he said.
Another tourist boat was burned but no one was hurt, said Edward.
The intensity of the quake was felt at 4 to 5 MMI (Modified Mercally Intensity) at Pagaiselatan Mentawai, 3 to 4 MMI in Padang city, the capital of West Sumatra province and Pariaman town of the province, and 3 MMI at nearby Bengkulu province, the official of the agency told Xinhua. West Sumatra was hit by a powerful quake of 7.9 magnitude in September 2009, which killed more than 1,000 people and caused massive damage on infrastructure.
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