Death toll in Indonesia quake rises to 10 with about 13,000 displaced

JAKARTA, Feb. 27 (Xinhua) -- At least 10 people were killed and about 13,000 others displaced after a 6.1-magnitude quake rocked Indonesia's western province of West Sumatra on Friday, officials said on Sunday.

Head of the Operation Unit of the Search and Rescue Office of West Sumatra Province, Octavianto, said rescuers had discovered one more body, bringing the death toll to 10, while five others were still missing.

The search for the missing persons was hampered by thick mud as well as fears of further aftershocks, he said.

"The mud is very thick, hampering our movement, and the landslide area is about 3 sq km. Besides aftershocks may happen and trigger other landslides," Octavianto told Xinhua by phone.

Search for the missing in the landslide in Malampah village, Pasaman district, will resume on Monday with over 50 rescuers, according to him.

Pasaman district and Pasaman Barat district were the hardest hit by the tremor, according to the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.

The number of evacuees jumped to about 13,000 on Sunday, head of the Operation Unit of the Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency of West Sumatra Province, Jumaidi, told Xinhua, adding that the displaced people stay now in more than 35 evacuation centers.

He added that some emergency relief aids have arrived in the quake-affected areas.