Up to 245 passengers of a sunken Indonesian ferry have been pulled out of choppy waters off the coast of Sumatra while at least 29 people were killed, officials say. Indonesian ferries have a poor safety record and overloading is a common practice.
South-east Asia is still counting its dead after a string of natural disasters stretching from Indonesia to Samoa and the Philippines. Also in our weekly round-up of the news in Asia: China celebrates the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic.
Rescue efforts were called off in the city of Padang on Indonesia's quake-hit Sumatra island on Monday, as fears loom over outbreaks of disease. Up to 5,000 people could have died in the 7.6-magnitude quake, according to UN estimates.
Rescue teams combing through the rubble of Wednesday’s earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sumatra were having little success finding survivors on Sunday as they pushed into remote areas.
Even as an international aid effort was gaining momentum in quake-hit Indonesia, the UN and the Red Cross estimated that up to 4,000 people are still trapped under the rubble of Wednesday’s quake.
Today on the Net: The Web comments upon the violent earthquakes that have shaken Indonesia; the blogosphere prepares for Blog Action Day on October 15; and Sting campaigns online to save tropical forests.
As rescue workers struggled to reach people trapped in the rubble of Wednesday’s quake, Indonesia’s health minister appealed for foreign aid on Friday as the death toll surpassed 1,000, according to UN estimates.
The death toll from the major earthquake in Indonesia has risen to at least 1,100 and is likely to worsen, UN humanitarian chief John Holmes said Thursday. Many districts remain inaccessible to emergency services.
Today we have a look at what various editorials are saying on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of the People's Republic of China. Also - coverage of yesterday's earthquakes as well as changing relations between parents and young children.
