23 die, 169 missing in tsunami in West Sumatra, Indonesia

JAKARTA. October 26. KAZINFORM Tsunami after strong quake in West Sumatra of Indonesia on Monday evening killed 23 people and left 169 others missing, emergency relief aids will be sent immediately, officials said on Tuesday, Kazinform refers to Xinhua.

The tsunami hit two islands of Pagaiselatan Mentawai and Pagaiutara Mentawai in West Sumatra after the 7.2 magnitude quake, West Sumatra Disaster and Mitigation Management Agency Ade Edward told Xinhua by phone from West Sumatra. The USGS reported the quake was 7.7 magnitude. "The latest data of casualty now is 23 people and we are searching the 169 others," he said.

Head of crisis center of the health Ministry Mujiharjo said that 12 medical men from Padang the capital of West Sumatra will leave for the island at 17:00 p.m. Jakarta time.

The Indonesia's Meteorology and Geophysics Agency admitted that small tsunamis occurred five minutes after the main shock at 7.2 magnitude at 21:42 p.m. Jakarta time Monday (1442 GMT), although it lifted the warning about a half hour after the main shock.

West Sumatra was hit by powerful quake of 7.9 magnitude in September 2009, killing more than one thousand people and caused massive damages on infrastructures, Kazinform cites Xinhua. See www.xinhuanet.com