6 Sep 2009

Hopes fade for many still missing after quake

5:30 am on 6 September 2009

The searches go on, but hopes are fading for dozens of people missing after the magnitude 7 earthquake that hit Java on Wednesday.

The quake, centred off the island's south coast, triggered a landslide that buried dozens of people. Disaster officials say at least 65 people have died.

The quake also damaged more than 31,000 houses across the densely populated island, forcing the evacuation of about 27,000 people.

Many have complained at the slow arrival of tents, food and medical supplies since the disaster.

Government agencies say some of the affected coastal areas are still out of contact. Food and water have reached some districts of western Java, but World Vision says many remote villages are still cut off.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who has been visiting the affected areas, says Indonesia does not need international assistance at this stage.