Death toll rises as water recedes in Indonesia

The death toll from Indonesia’s twin disasters rose again Friday after officials found more bodies on islands hit by a four-meter-high tsunami. Catholic Relief Services report that “the wave swept away coastal villages, nearly 400 people are still missing and almost 4,000 people are displaced”.
CRS Country Manager Yenni Suryani tells Vatican Radio that an emergency response team has just reached the Mentawai island chain, between Sumatra and the Indian Ocean, the most affected by the tsunami. She says “many bridges were destroyed, as well as four churches and three public schools. Rough seas and bad weather have made it difficult to travel there” and adds that “tarps and clean water—as well as transitional shelter are essential during the early recovery period”.
Meanwhile CRS is also supporting the archdiocese of Central Java to assist “approximately 10,000 people who fled an erupting volcano”. Mount Merapi, one of the world’s most active volcanoes, erupted this week, spewing ash and gas down its slopes and killing 25 people. Listen to Emer McCarthy’s interview with CRS Country Manager Yenni Suryani: