OCHA Situation Report No. 1
Indonesia: Earthquakes West Sumatra Province
6 March 2007


This report is developed by HC/RC Office in Indonesia based on 
information provided by the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG), 
National Coordinating Board for the Management of Disaster (BAKORNAS 
PB), Provincial Coordinating Unit for the Management of Disaster 
(SATKORLAK PB) West Sumatera, District Coordinating Unit for Management 
of Disaster (SATLAK PB) Solok, Indonesian Red Cross (PMI) and media 
reports.

I. SITUATION

1. A 6.3 Magnitude earthquake, struck West Sumatra Province, on Tuesday, 
6 March 2007, at 10:49 hours local time affecting Tanah Datar, Solok, 
Padang Pariaman, and Padang Panjang districts. The epicentre was located 
approximately 16 kilometres southwest of Batusangkar in Tanah Datar 
District.  The most affected area is Solok, some 96 km northeast of 
Padang, the capital city of West Sumatera.  The media reports that 
tremors have been felt in several cities in Padang, Riau and Pekanbaru, 
as well as in Singapore and Kuala Lumpur.

2. The second earthquake occurred at 12:49 hours; with the epicentre at 
approximately 11 kilometres southwest of Batusangkar.

3. Current casualties reported by the SATKORLAK PB are as follows:

|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
| No. |     Location     |Death person| Injured |
|     |                  |            | person  |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  1  |Tanah Datar       |     16     |    -    |
|     |District          |            |         |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  2  |Solok District    |     19     |   65    |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  3  |Solok Municipality|     8      |    -    |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  4  |Padang Pariaman   |     14     |    -    |
|     |District          |            |         |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  5  |Padang Panjang    |     10     |    -    |
|     |District          |            |         |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  6  |Bukit Tinggi      |     1      |   11    |
|     |District          |            |         |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|  7  |Payakumbuh        |     1      |    -    |
|     |District          |            |         |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|
|TOTAL|                  |     69     |   76    |
|-----+------------------+------------+---------|


4. Local authorities and media reports indicate that hundreds of houses 
have been destroyed, including a school and a bank. Some schools and 
government offices were closed right after the earthquake in 
anticipation of aftershocks.  The electricity in the affected areas is 
cut off.

5. The local media reports difficulties in communication in the affected 
areas, however, PT Telkom reports that there has been no damage to 
communication networks caused by these earthquakes.

II. NATIONAL RESPONSES

1. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has instructed armed forces and 
police to mobilize personnel and heavy equipment, as well as The 
Department of Social Affairs and the Coordinating Ministry of People's 
welfare to provide food and medicine. A ministerial BAKORNAS 
coordination meeting will be held tomorrow, 7 March.

2. BAKORNAS PB deployed two staff to monitor the field condition, 
conduct a rapid assessment and facilitate the coordination of relief 
efforts in collaboration with SATKORLAK PB West Sumatra, SATLAK, armed 
forces, the Department of Health and other Government institutions. 
BAKORNAS PB has provided IDR 50 million to SATKORLAK PB in response to 
the disaster.

3. Armed forces have set up field kitchens, health services and field 
tents, as well as a field hospital in Solok District to assist the 
affected persons.  It has also deployed two teams of troops to provide 
emergency response assistance.

4. The Indonesian Red Cross has mobilized a SATGANA team (Disaster 
Response Team) to establish communication flows and work in close 
coordination with local SATLAK PB on the damage and needs assessment. 
The team is also prepared to provide additional support to the affected 
branches.

III. INTERNATIONAL RESPONSES

1. An inter-agency team of UN staff will arrive in the area on first 
available flight to assess the situation.  The team includes UNICEF, 
WHO, OCHA, IOM, and WFP.

2. The United Nations Humanitarian Coordinator, Mr. Bo Asplund, 
announced that the UN stands ready to support the Government of 
Indonesia in response to this earthquake.

3. An UNDAC Team was placed on stand by a few hours after the earthquake 
and it is ready to be deployed if required.

4. A number of donor representatives in Jakarta have informed OCHA 
Indonesia that they remain ready to assist if needed.

5. The UN HC/RC Office in Jakarta will continue to monitor the situation 
through direct contact with pertinent government and non-government 
institutions, as well as with the Indonesian Red Cross.


For detailed information please contact:

UN RC/HC Office Jakarta
Fax:  +62 21 319 00 003
Mr. Abdul Haq Amiri, Tel. + 62 21 314 1308, Mob. + 62 812 108 7277
Titi Moektijasih, Tel.  +62 21 314 1308, Mob.  +62 811 87 39 97

Desk Officers:
  NYC - Ms. Kirsten Gelsdorf, Tel. +1 917 367 2174, Mob. +1 617 470 9014
  GVA - Mr. Erik Kastlander, Tel.  +41-22-917 1587

Press contact:
  NYC - Ms. Stephanie Bunker, Tel.  +1-917 367 5126
  GVA - Ms. Elizabeth Byrs, Tel.  +41-22-917 2653

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