Indonesian tsunami kills 108, hundreds missing

Tuesday, 26 October 2010 23:46 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

JAKARTA (Reuters) - A tsunami that pounded remote islands in western Indonesia following an earthquake off the coast of Sumatra killed more than 100 people, officials said on Tuesday, and hundreds more were missing.

The 7.5 magnitude quake hit 78 km west of South Pagai, one of the Mentawai islands, late on Monday. Local legislator Hendri Dori Satoko told Metro TV the latest toll was 108 dead and 502 missing.

Most buildings in the coastal village of Betu Monga were destroyed, said Hardimansyah, an official with the regional branch of the Department of Fisheries.

“Of the 200 people living in that village, only 40 have been found. 160 are still missing, mostly women and children,” he told Reuters by phone. “We have people reporting to the security post here that they could not hold on to their children, that they were swept away. A lot of people are crying.”

Hardimansyah, who has only one name, said 80 percent of the houses in the area were damaged and food supplies were low.

A tourist boat carrying between eight and 10 Australians has been out of radio contact since the quake, Australia’s Department of Foreign Affairs and Trade said in a statement.