Indonesian rescuers yesterday struggled to reach victims of a powerful earthquake that has killed more than 100 people and injured hundreds on Sumatra island.
Police said they feared the death toll would rise because of the difficulty contacting remote areas of Bengkulu province on Sumatra's west coast, the worst affected region from Sunday night's earthquake, which measured 7.9 on the Richter scale.
Bad weather, minimal electricity, damaged roads and the closure of Bengkulu airport have also hampered rescue efforts, which were called off at nightfall yesterday.
"We still expect the death toll to climb higher," Sgt Edy Somes said. "The quake caused several landslides in the south of the province, and it is tough for rescuers to reach that area because some roads have been blocked by tonnes of earth."
Police put the death toll for Bengkulu town, the provincial capital, and nearby districts at 103. They had no figures for outlying areas of the province.
Residents were still in a state of fear yesterday as frequent aftershocks rippled across the province, sending people out of shelters and into the streets.
Residents prepared for another night in makeshift shelters, with tattered tents and plastic sheeting held up by bamboo poles lining the town's debris-strewn streets.
Families huddled around paraffin lamps, with many counting their blessings that one of the world's biggest earthquakes in a decade did not completely level this town of 260,000 people.
"We are still living in trauma. Today there was a moderate quake and we can also feel other tremors, which puts everyone into a panic," said Awang, a telecommunications worker.
It was unclear why an earthquake of such magnitude had not caused greater damage and loss of life in Bengkulu town. The province itself is home to 1.4 million people, a small population by Indonesian standards.
The Antara news agency said more than 500 people had been injured, half of them seriously.
Doctors in Bengkulu town were struggling with a shortage of beds, medicine and blood and were treating victims in hospital parking lots.
Mr Surjadi Soedirja, co-ordinating minister for political and security affairs, said Indonesia needed international assistance.