Heavy rain hampers earthquake aid efforts

HEAVY rains hampered search teams yesterday in the hills of western Indonesia where hundreds of people were buried alive in landslides triggered by a massive earthquake that wiped out four villages.

Officials said at least 644 people were buried and presumed dead in the hillside villages in Padang Pariaman district on the western coast of Sumatra island.

Aid and rescue efforts have been concentrated in the region’s capital, Padang, a coastal city of 900,000 people where several tall buildings collapsed and hundreds died.