0 Earthquake & Tsunami in Indonesia killed over 154 زلزله و سونامی در اندونزی

Earthquake & Tsunami in Indonesia killed over 154, 400 missing زلزله و سونامی در اندونزی
Crews struggle to reach Indonesia tsunami victims

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- Rescuers prepared for the worst Wednesday, deploying with hundreds of body bags as they struggled to reach victims two days after a 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off Indonesia.

The quake triggered a tsunami, killing at least 112 people and leaving 502 more missing, government officials said.

The numbers of dead and injured were in flux because information was trickling in from remote parts of Indonesia, a country made up of myriad islands.

Rough seas and debris delayed a team from the Indonesian Red Cross that deployed Tuesday and was to try again Wednesday. A second Red Cross team was to be dispatched Wednesday, carrying 400 body bags to the disaster area, said spokeswoman Aulia Arriani.

The Red Cross expects to send more emergency supplies, but awaits information on what is needed.

The trip takes 10 hours, even under good conditions.

The area believed hardest-hit was the Mentawai Islands, a popular surfing destination. In particular, Pagai Island was thought to have been affected, said Ita Balanda, a program manager for World Vision in Padang.

Monday's quake generated a "significant" tsunami, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center said. Some of the missing might include people who are unaccounted for after fleeing to higher ground, said Henri Dori Satoko, head of the Mentawai Islands parliament.

Though communication with remote areas is difficult, some witnesses in West Sumatra reported seeing a wave 6 meters (nearly 20 feet) high. Other reports described the tsunami as being about 3 meters (almost 10 feet) high.

At least one village with a population of about 200 people was swept away, with only 40 people recovered, Satoko said.

The quake struck at 9:42 p.m. Monday, triggering a tsunami warning that was later lifted when sea level readings indicated the threat had diminished or was over for most areas. Its epicenter was 240 kilometers (150 miles) south of Padang, at a depth of 20.6 kilometers (12.8 miles), according to the U.S. Geological Survey. The magnitude was revised upward from a preliminary magnitude of 7.5.

The city of Padang and the Mentawai Islands are at the meeting place of two tectonic plates, making them vulnerable to earthquakes and tsunamis

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