Geneva, 15 November 2004 - Strong aftershocks continue on the eastern Indonesia island of Alor following a predawn earthquake of magnitude 7.3 that hit the island on 11 November. According to local officials hundreds of homes, shops and offices are reported to have been damaged in the island's main town of Kalabahi and at least 21 people have been killed.
ACT member YAKKUM Emergency Unit/CD Bethesda (YEU) have local staff on the island who report that the earthquake has mostly affected two districts - Mebung-Kalabahi and Maritaing. In Kalabahi district two villages have been badly affected, while in Maritaing district almost all villages have suffered heavy damages. Furthermore, Maritaing district is isolated due to the main road between Kalabahi and north-east Alor - where Maritaing is situated, being severed when the force of the quake opened a massive fissure in a mountain. A local government official in north-east Alor reports that just about all buildings, both private and public, have collapsed and most of the areas 8,000 residents are sheltering in open spaces where tents have been set up to provide health, cooking and sleeping facilities.

In Kalabahi the Government has already set up a public kitchen near the hospital and allocated 1,500 tons of rice as well as tents. YEU and CD Bethesda Alor have put together a medical team that is co-ordinating with the existing Dinas Sosial (Social Services).

ACT member Yayasan Tanggul Benkana (YTB) are in contact with local members - GMIT Synod Board, who report that further to the death toll of 21, 93 people have been seriously injured with 72 suffering light injuries. 532 buildings have been heavily damaged, 657 slightly damaged and 11 destroyed. The airport has suffered significant damage and there are currently no flights. GMIT will send a team from Kupang to Alor in the next few days to assist.

ACT member Church World Service Indonesia is in contact with their staff in West Timor to gather further information and all ACT members in the region, YTB, YEU and Church World Service, will keep each other and the ACT CO updated.

Any funding indication or pledge should be communicated to Jessie Kgoroeadira, ACT Finance Officer (jkg@act-intl.org). Thank you.

For further information please contact:
ACT Interim Director, Jenny Borden (phone +41 22 791 6033 or mobile phone + 41 79 203 6055) or
ACT Appeals Officer, Mieke Weeda (phone +41 22 791 6035 or mobile phone +41 79 285 2916)
ACT Web Site address: http://www.act-intl.org

ACT is a global alliance of churches and related agencies working to save lives and support communities in emergencies worldwide.

The ACT Coordinating Office is based with the World Council of Churches (WCC) and The Lutheran World Federation (LWF) in Switzerland.