This afternoon I had contact with Rev Charles Sihombing, Secretary
to the Bishop, Methodist Church in Indonesia. Rev Sihombing says the
city of Medan was hit by a strong earthquake during the night. This
caused panic througfhout the city. Little damage has been reported
in Medan while the earthquake was across Aceh and North Sumatra.
The most serious damage was experienced on the island of Nias.
The Bishop of the Protestant Chrisitan Church in Nias reports that
most tall buildings in the main town, Gunungsitoli, have been destroyed.
These buildings include a number of churches. Between 300 and 1,000
people are dead in Nias while many people are still moving to high
ground because they fear a tsunami.
A team from the Methodist Church Disaster agency is currenlty on
its way to Nias to assess the situation.
Media reports indicate that offical death toll is 322 people with
220 dying in Gunungsitoli. Nearly half of Gunungsitoli's 27,000
population have feld the town. The control tower at Gunungsitoli's
airport has collapsed and relief flights will be operating out of
Sibolga on nearby Sumatra.
The Uniting Church in Australia recently established a significant
link with the Protestant Christian Church in Nias while we are also
working together with the Methodist Church in Indonesia.
Further information will be sent from the Methodist Bishop's office
in Medan. At this stage, the Protestant Christian Church in Nias
is most likely unable to engage in an effective relief effort because
some of its infrastructure will have been destroyed and some of
its personnel may have been killed.
Further updates will follow once more information comes to hand.
Rev John Barr
Executive Secretary
Uniting International Mission
Email: jbarr@nat.uca.org.au
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