Leader visits quake-hit Sumatra

By Lucy Williamson
BBC News, Jakarta

Many buildings collapsed when the earthquakes struck last week

Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has told officials on the quake-hit island of Sumatra to remain in their posts in emergency situations.

The Indonesian leader was speaking on a visit to the province of Bengkulu, which was hardest-hit by last week's powerful earthquake.

The quake on Wednesday was followed a day later by a second strong tremor.

Twenty-four people died in the series of earthquakes and more than 100 people were injured.

The president made his point clearly at a briefing to local government chiefs in Bengkulu.

Officials from all levels, he said, should remain in their posts in the event of a disaster, so that they could manage the situation.

See where the earthquakes hit

His instructions come after reports that several local leaders joined their communities in evacuating to higher ground after last week's earthquakes.

The speed with which people ran out of their homes is one reason, officials say, why the quakes caused relatively few casualties.

But a spokesman for the president said the absence of local chiefs meant command posts were left empty, slowing the relief effort.

According to the government, aid has now reached the most remote areas of the province.

But continuing aftershocks mean many people in coastal areas are refusing to return to their homes overnight.

WHERE THE EARTHQUAKES HIT

Two earthquakes in same area, south-east of Padang, Sumatra

First earthquake at 1810 (1110 GMT) on Wednesday, magnitude 8.4

Second earthquake at 0649 on Thursday (2349 GMT on Wednesday), magnitude 7.8

Third earthquake of magnitude 6.4 at 1748 (0948 GMT) on Thursday, off northern Sulawesi

Click here to return