Relatives mourn after Indonesian quake kills 52

Relatives of those killed in a powerful Indonesian earthquake sobbed and threw rose petals on graves today as others began clearing rubble from their crumpled homes.

At least 52 people were killed and hundreds injured in the quake – the latest in a string of natural disasters to hit the nation.

“My heart is crushed,” said Yera Wesi, who lost her daughter Regia Putri. The five-year-old ran out of her nursery school when the ground began shaking violently, cracking nearby roads, shops and houses. She made it to the playground, but was smashed beyond recognition when a slab of concrete rained down from the building next door.

The 6.3 magnitude quake that struck Sumatra island yesterday left at least 52 dead, said Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi, lowering the death toll by nearly 20. He said some victims had been counted twice.

The quake was felt as far away as neighbouring Malaysia and Singapore, where some tall buildings were evacuated. Two hours later, a 6.1 aftershock rattled the region.

In Solok, a bustling town close to the epicentre, three members of one family were burned alive when their collapsed home burst into flames, said police spokesman Supriadi, who like many Indonesians uses only one name.