Countdown on for rescue of Indonesia quake victims
A resident stands next to building that has collapsed onto a car in Padang on Wednesday while an Indonesian woman cry in mourning after identifying a dead relative at a hospital there in West Sumatra. Rescue workers raced against time yesterday to assist victims of a huge earthquake in the flattened Indonesian city.Photo: AFP
Rescuers battling to save victims of a devastating earthquake on Indonesia's Sumatra island have a crucial window of about 72 hours to find survivors, emergency experts said.
Thousands of people are feared dead and many more trapped in rubble after a 7.6-magnitude earthquake struck on Wednesday.
"It depends how serious the injuries are and how strong a person is but, generally speaking, the first 72 hours are the key," said Seiji Amano, an official at Japan's Fire and Disaster Management Agency.
Japan, which is in one of the most quake-prone parts of the world, is one of the best prepared countries, with a strict building code and regular emergency drills.
Hunting for people trapped beneath collapsed buildings and identifying possible gas leaks to prevent explosions were two of the first main tasks, experts said.
"The quicker you can get there the better, although it is possible to survive several days if you are unhurt and have access to water," Julie Ryan, a spokeswoman for the British-based charity International Rescue Corps (IRC) told AFP.
Aside from broken limbs and respiratory problems, earthquake victims can also suffer from "crush syndrome", a potentially fatal condition that damages the kidney and requires dialysis, according to Francois Dumont, a spokesman for Medecins Sans Frontieres (MSF).
MSF said it was sending a team from Europe as well as local staff to join the relief operation.
Meanwhile, collapsed infrastructure, a lack of power and poor communications were hampering efforts to get vital equipment and supplies through to the Sumatran city of Padang and the surrounding areas.
Padang, home to nearly a million people, was still largely without power and communications and some areas in the region were inaccessible by road.
"We need to dig people from the rubble but we still are short on the heavy machinery needed for things like cutting through the metal rods that hold up buildings," said Disaster Management Agency spokesman Priyadi Kardono.
Transporting machinery to the affected areas and a lack of food supplies were major challenges, he said.
A World Vision disaster response worker in Padang, Enda Balina, said nearly every building in the centre of town was damaged, with many collapsed.
"Everywhere I go here there is major damage. Here in front of me are maybe five or six buildings that are very badly damaged. In front of me they're trying to demolish one building completely and get out the people trapped inside," Balina said.
"A normal person with good body strength will be able to live for a few days, that's why they need support now to rescue people," she said.
Outside Padang city, along Sumatra's coast and hilly interior, collapsed roads and downed communications meant many people are likely be trapped with little or no outside assistance, she said.
"There are some places (outside Padang) that have been badly affected by the earthquake. From the information I have got, in some hilly areas there are landslides and also main roads have collapsed."
Indonesian Military spokesman Sagom Tamboen said roads had been cut off, making it hard for the personnel to reach victims.
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