15 Oct 2009

Sumatra quake toll up to 1,100

5:54 pm on 15 October 2009

Indonesian officials say the official death toll from the earthquakes on the island of Sumatra at the end of September is now 1,115.

The country's health minister has already said however that the toll could rise as high as 3,000.

Many people were buried alive in landslides triggered by the 7.6 quake.

The United Nations humanitarian chief, John Holmes, has been inspecting the damage in western Sumatra. A spokesperson, Farhan Haq, says he found that people's needs are still urgent nearly two weeks after the earthquake.