IDR 390 Billion AllocatedThe construction of the bridge that was completely broken in West Nias is targeted to be completed by the end of this year the government is preparing an alternative road Audio NewsThis article has been translated using AI. See original Broken Bridge and Damaged Road in Nias Islands to be Rebuilt Soon 10 Mar 2025 19:18 WIB · English has allocated Rp 390 billion to repair broken bridges and damaged roads in the Nias Islands This infrastructure development is part of efforts to alleviate four underdeveloped regions in North Sumatra The construction of the completely collapsed Noyo Bridge in West Nias is targeted for completion within 10 months "Infrastructure development in the Nias Islands is crucial to improving the connectivity of logistics and food transportation This must be addressed immediately," said Bobby Nasution during his visit to the Nias Islands on Monday (10/3/2025) Bobby inspected the Nias Ring Road as well as the Gunungsitoli-Nias Barat Road during his first visit to the Nias Islands since being inaugurated as governor The Nias Islands are divided into Gunungsitoli City four regencies on the outermost island are classified as underdeveloped areas Bobby stated that alleviating the status of these four underdeveloped areas is his priority program for the next five years North Sumatra Governor Bobby Nasution visited a broken bridge and damaged road in West Nias Regency The first task undertaken was the construction of the Noyo Bridge in Tawuna Village which completely collapsed on Wednesday (5/3/2025) with its iron frame and wooden road surface had been a source of complaints from the community for years due to its severe damage until it finally collapsed under the force of the river's current The bridge is located on the main road spanning 60 kilometers which serves as the trade center in the archipelago Infrastructure development in the Nias Islands is very important to improve connectivity for logistics and food transportation 97 of them have been affected by the collapsed bridge The road was used to transport agricultural products such as rubber sap and areca nuts from villages in the mountainous areas to be sold in Gunungsitoli or transported across to Sibolga City on the mainland of Sumatra the road is also used to transport essential goods for the residents of West Nias from urban areas residents have been using an alternative road in very poor condition Some have opted to cross the 90-meter-wide river using boats Bobby said he prepared Rp 40 billion to build the bridge which is targeted to be completed by the end of this year The North Sumatra Provincial Government will also repair alternative roads for use by the public during the construction of the bridge The condition of the Nias Ring Road appears to be badly damaged on the border of Gunungsitoli City and North Nias Regency The Gunungsitoli-West Nias road will also be built with a budget of Rp 350 billion The road stretches 60 kilometers across Nias Island from Simpang Miga to Sirombu The condition of the provincial road has also been damaged for years Bobby reviewed the Gunungsitoli-North Nias Road which was badly damaged especially on the border of the two regions Bobby targets to build 15 kilometers of roads in the area Bobby promised to shift the budget so that the road can be built Head of the North Sumatra Public Works and Spatial Planning Agency (PUPR) Topan Ginting said they will focus on building badly damaged provincial roads in the Nias Islands The construction will be carried out in stages over the next five years In addition to provincial roads and district roads part of the Nias Ring Road is also a national road West Nias Regent Ellyunus Waruwu said that the total collapse of the Noyo Bridge had a major impact on the economic activities of the West Nias community "The distribution of basic necessities and other community needs has certainly been disrupted We are focused on ensuring that food stocks remain available," he said Ellyunus said that the economic activities of the community in the agricultural and trade sectors were greatly affected by the difficulty of access for goods to enter and exit some residents also chose to cross by boat said that residents have to pay IDR 20,000 to cross by boat and IDR 50,000 to cross by motorbike four-wheeled or more vehicles have to use an alternative route USU PR—The Computer-Based Written Test (UTBK) for the National Selection for Higher Education (SNBT) 2024 at Universitas Sumatera Utara (USU) began on the first day according to the guidelines set by the central committee of the National Selection for New Students (SNPMB) 2024 on Monday (Apr The activity is conducted in two sessions per day with the exam materials consisting of the Scholastic Potential Test (TPS) The number of UTBK-SNBT 2024 registrants of USU is 37,169 participants The number of participants with disabilities taking the UTBK-SNBT at USU in 2024 is three visually impaired individuals with their exams scheduled for Session 3 on May 2 in an interview session with several print and electronic media journalists after observing the first day of the UTBK the number of study programs offered by USU in the UTBK-SNBT 2024 consists of 49 undergraduate programs (S1) The D4 programs are newly opened in this year's UTBK," said Edy Ikhsan the exams are not only held at USU but also at new test centers in Nias located in two locations: SMA Negeri 1 Gunungsitoli and SMK Negeri 1 Teluk Dalam The opening of the Nias sub-test centers aims to facilitate UTBK participants in the area so they do not have to travel far to Medan The total capacity for UTBK-SNBT at USU in 2024 is 2,801 seats consisting of 2,405 seats for Undergraduate programs The announcement of SNBT results will be held on June 13 and the period to download SNBT certificates will be from June 17 to July 31 the Head of the UTBK-SNBT Implementation at USU measures have been taken to enhance exam security and anticipate the possibility of cheating in this year's UTBK He hopes that incidents such as exam impersonation will no longer occur Participants this year are only allowed to take the UTBK once and the results of the UTBK 2024 are only valid for participating in the SNBT and admissions to state universities The SNBT 2024 selection is based on the results of the UTBK 2024 and portfolios for students choosing art and/or sports programs Students who have been declared eligible through the SNBP 2024 and National Selection for State Universities (SNMPTN) 2022 are not allowed to register for the SNBT 2024 Students declared eligible through the SNBP 2024 are not eligible to apply for the Independent Selection at any state university Participants who have been declared eligible through the SNBT 2024 and have completed registration 4at the intended state university will not be accepted in the Independent Selection 2024 at any state university Photographer: Mhd Andriansyah - Staf Humas Halo,Dengan Layanan Bantuan USUAda yang bisa kami bantu hari ini?-Admin Copyright 2025 - Universitas Sumatera Utara Dewi Elvia Muthiariny Petir Garda Bhwana TEMPO.CO, Nias - An earthquake jolted southwest Nias my family and I go to the top floor just in case the quake gets stronger,” said Yenni A trader at Soliga Market also said that the quake caused traders and buyers to leave the shops and Geophysics Agency (BMKG) announced that the quake was centered in the sea about 140 km southwest of Nias at a depth of 16 km It was measured at a magnitude of 6.4 which was then finalized to 6.1 the shallow quake occurred due to tectonic activity on the Indian Ocean Plate The tremor was felt in West Nias at the II-III level of the Modified Mercalli Intensity (MMI) and Gunungsitoli at the I-II MMI level The tremor was also felt by people in Aek Godang and Pakpak Bharat in North Sumatra; Pariaman and Padang in West Sumatra; and Aceh Singkil in Aceh at the II MMI scale BMKG Head of Earthquake and Tsunami Center said there was no report of damage caused by the quake which did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami until now.  Read: BMKG Keeps Eye on Two Recent Megathrust Earthquakes in NTB BMKG Weather Forecast: Rain in Various Areas, Hydrometeorological 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Announces New Gates Foundation Office in Singapore West Java's Dedi Mulyadi Prepares Rp6bn to Send Troubled Teens to Military Barracks Bareskrim Arrests 4 LPG Agents for Subsidy Fraud, Rp5.6bn in State Losses 6 Birth Control Methods Covered by BPJS Health: Injections, Vasectomy, IUDs, and More Hun Sen Shares Cambodia's Strategies on Post-Conflict Economic Recovery Retina Scanning for Crypto? Cyber Law Expert Warns of Worldcoin's Biometric Dangers Samsung to Open Galaxy AI-Driven Pop-Up Restaurant in Portugal BMKG Reports M5.4 Earthquake Striking Tomini Bay; No Tsunami Threats rusty bicycle stands as a memorial outside the Nias Heritage Museum two colorful concrete signs bear two terrible dates in the island’s history The first, painted with bright blue, white-capped waves, reads Dec. 26, 2004, the day after Christmas. That’s when an undersea earthquake created waves 100 feet high and claimed the lives of more than 227,000 people across 14 countries — most of them in Indonesia Concrete signs behind a mass of metal and vines note the dates of the Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004 and the Indonesian earthquake that followed three months later The second sign depicts a brown-and-red mudslide flowing from the hills. Its date: March 28, 2005, the day after Easter. That’s when a magnitude 8.7 earthquake perhaps an aftershock of the undersea quake three months earlier who preaches for the Bawolato Church of Christ on the island The quake woke him from his sleep at about 11 p.m Faatulo Telambanua heads out on his motorbike after an interview at the Bawolato Church of Christ’s building on the island of Nias The church building is one of many houses of worship constructed or repaired after the March 2005 earthquake But while the tsunami had spared buildings on the island’s higher ground Dennis Cady was on the second floor of the hillside Wisma Soliga Hotel when the quake started and then the floor beneath him disappeared “and the second floor became the first floor.” had come to Nias to assist in recovery after the first natural disaster he escaped from the hotel with only a sprained foot Before catching a medevac flight a few days later “I saw bodies lined up on the sidewalks,” he said “I saw people digging to rescue those still trapped beneath rubble Some places I was familiar with weren’t recognizable.” and thousands were instantly made homeless the second-most powerful ever recorded in Indonesia Fishing boats dot the horizon on the Indian Ocean off the coast of Gunungsitoli Churches of Christ have dedicated thousands of dollars and hours to relief efforts and medical missions a ministry that oversees a children’s home and programs to help islanders get a good education Now Nias is home to 60-plus Churches of Christ more than triple the number that existed prior to 2004 When asked for possible reasons behind the growth “so they wanted to know more about the people that helped them.” Black-and-white pictures of men with metal mustaches adorn the walls of the Nias Heritage Museum A photo of a Niasian nobleman hangs in the island’s Heritage Museum The museum displays their regal trappings and complex architecture as it traces their history Raids by slavers in northern Sumatra created a warrior culture and the arrival of the Dutch East India Company intensified the slave trade while Indonesia has the largest Muslim population in the world the majority of Nias’ 930,000 people claim Christianity as their faith walk through exhibits of elaborate helmets They’ve come here from Indonesia’s capital which doubles as a church building and children’s home After the museum, they visit the Jochebed’s Hope children’s home Naomi gets hugs from youngsters while Daniel greets the home’s supervisors and Daniel Setiabudi visit with children at the Jochebed’s Hope children’s home on the island of Nias an elder of the Lake Jackson Church of Christ in Texas and president of Tsunami Earthquake American Relief Services (TEARS) who helped provide relief and rebuilding on Nias said Hulu who describes himself as “the guy who gets food for the kids” at the children’s home Lingaaro Halawa shows off the baseball cap he got from tsunami relief worker James Karl Hulu and his wife never were able to have children of their own “You would be hard-pressed to find a harder worker who cares more about the kids than he does,” Cate said of Hulu Mardianus Hulu stands next to a laundry drying rack at the Jochebed’s Hope children’s home the home relocated from a facility near the Nias airport to one next to the meeting place of a Church of Christ who invited Steve Cate to visit his village The trip involved a ferry ride and three days of hiking It also resulted in the island’s first two Churches of Christ and made regular trips to train church leaders until the tsunami when he and Steve Cate turned their attention to relief work In 2017, Scott Cate and his wife, Tracey, took over his father’s work. That includes Connor’s House, a children’s home in Jakarta overseen by Daniel and Naomi Setiabudi. That same year, in Africa, South Sudan became an independent nation and Cady began to focus his ministry, the Starfish Foundation Dennis Cady speaks with children on the island of Nias during one of his many visits after the 2005 earthquake Cady invited the Cates to take over Jochebed’s Hope The couple agreed and appointed Daniel Setiabudi as overseer and Suma Goelo some of the children helped by Jochebed’s Hope were orphans of the natural disasters had living parents who were forced by poverty to give up their children “I have asked many church groups who Moses’ mother was The second chapter of Exodus tells the story of Jochebed who made the desperate choice to hide the infant Moses in a basket in the Nile to save him from the slaughter of Hebrew children by the Egyptians A painting of “The Last Supper” adorns the wall of the Bawolato Church of Christ on the island of Nias Dennis Cady helped to coordinate relief work and construct the church building after the 2005 earthquake “She did not give up her son because she didn’t love him but because she did love him,” Cady said “I told the early Nias kids that story many times … that their parents did not bring them to us because they don’t love them but because they do love them.” After some final hugs at the children’s home the Setiabudis and Gulo visit two dormitories in downtown Gunungsitoli The buildings house about 60 youths who come from rural areas across the island to attend school in the capital city Cady launched the program after speaking with church leaders about their biggest needs village children lack access to quality education or must leave school early to provide for their families The program gives students food and housing as they study Students line the walls at the boys’ dormitory in Gunungsitoli students smile and laugh as they line up against the wall eagerly introducing themselves and talking about their dreams One student said he just wants to be famous Students sit outside the girls’ dormitory and share their dreams for the future the students express similar dreams — to become psychologists but they enjoy being together as they study he’s returned to his village and served as a preacher Jhonni Laiya and his family talk with the students they supervise at the boys’ dormitory in Gunungsitoli the son of Scott and Tracey and grandson of Steve Cate Hutton first visited Nias in 2019 and has made several trips back He’s even sat in on a few parent-teacher conferences right) visits with children on the island of Nias in 2023 Click the photo to read his report from the mission trip “I got to hear teachers tell me firsthand how well our kids do,” he said but moving into the city at such a crucial time in their development has afforded them so many opportunities to exercise and grow in their gifts that they wouldn’t otherwise have had.” Hutton also spends time at the children’s home where the bell for breakfast rings at 6:15 a.m. then I’ll have three middle schoolers knocking on my door shouting There’s a nightly prayer gathering at the children’s home It’s “a window into the spiritual growth and leadership of each of the kids,” Hutton Cate said two decades ago — and the church’s response — reshaped the island of Nias Now, the island is reshaping lives, including Hutton’s. An English major at Lipscomb University in Nashville a student in Jochebed’s Hope’s education program who has since graduated and returned to her village “Folks downtown are always interested to see a 6’7” white guy walking around,” he said “and it leads to a lot of interesting conversations and more than a few photoshoots.” prayer and conversations with trusted mentors led me into a conviction that I was called to ministry,” he said I immediately applied to seminary and never looked back Everything since then has flowed through that sense of calling.” ERIK TRYGGESTAD is President and CEO of The Christian Chronicle. Contact [email protected] Subscribe today to receive more inspiring articles like this one delivered straight to your inbox twice a month Your donation helps us not only keep our quality of journalism high but helps us continue to reach more people in the Churches of Christ community {amount} donation plus {fee_amount} to help cover fees Metrics details The Original Article was published on 20 August 2022 Raw standardized morbidity ratios of A Plasmodium falciparum and B Plasmodium vivax by regencies in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia from 2019–2020. 1—Asahan, 2—Batu Bara, 8—Gunungsitoli, 12—Sibolga, 17—Labuhanbatu, 18—Langkat, 19—Mandailing Natal, 20—Nias, 21—Nias Barat, 23—Nias Utara Indigenous cases by regencies in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia from 2019–2020. 1—Asahan, 2—Batu Bara, 8—Gunungsitoli, 12—Sibolga, 17—Labuhanbatu, 18—Langkat, 19—Mandailing Natal, 20—Nias, 21—Nias Barat, 23—Nias Utara Hot spots (Getis-Ord Gi*) of indigenous cases in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia from 2019–2020. 11—Pematangsiantar, 13—Tanjungbalai Imported cases by regencies in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia from 2019–2020. 1—Asahan, 2—Batu Bara, 4—Deli Serdang, 7—Binjai, 8—Gunungsitoli, 11—Pematangsiantar, 12—Sibolga, 18—Langkat, 19—Mandailing Natal, 20—Nias, 21—Nias Barat, 23—Nias Utara, 27—Samosir, 33—Toba Hot spots (Getis-Ord Gi*) of imported cases in Northern Sumatera The authors thank you for reading and apologize for any inconvenience caused Fahmi F, Pasaribu AP, Theodora M, Wangdi K. Spatial analysis to evaluate risk of malaria in Northern Sumatera, Indonesia. Malar J. 2022;21:241. https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04262-y Download references Directorate of Vector Borne and Zoonotic Disease Control National Centre for Epidemiology and Population Health Springer Nature remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims in published maps and institutional affiliations unless otherwise stated in a credit line to the data Download citation DOI: https://doi.org/10.1186/s12936-022-04285-5 Anyone you share the following link with will be able to read this content: a shareable link is not currently available for this article Najla Nur Fauziyah TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Super Air Jet Airlines is offering its services at the newly operated West Java International Airport of Kertajati The airport just began its operation yesterday Sunday taking over aviation services from Husein Sastranegara Airport in Bandung President Director of Super Air Jet Ari Azhari explained several interesting facts about the airline's services at the airport the airport improves the connection between regions in West Java "The youths have the option to explore the beauty of West Java now," he said in a written statement released on Monday Super Air Jet also connects the seven main cities in Indonesia through Kertajati Airport These include the flight to Kualanamu (KNO) A global connection was the third point brought up by Ari Azhari Ari explained that Kertajati airport will facilitate passengers to fly toward various global destinations Super Air Jet will also bring its passengers to various cities in Indonesia and Takengon from the flight of Kertajati to Kualanamu.  passengers can fly toward Pangkalpinang and Tanjung Pandan the connecting flights head to Bau–Bau The last point brought up by Ari was the comfortability passengers may enjoy maximum comfort on an Airbus 320-200 with 180-economy class seats capacity," he concluded Editor's Choice: Super Air Jet Opens New Pekanbaru-Kuala Lumpur International Route Click here to get the latest news updates from Tempo on Google News Prabowo Plans to Build Emergency Bulog Warehouses in Aceh, West Nusa Tenggara Prabowo's Reason for Involving the Military in Food Matters Prabowo Open to Meeting Retired Military Forum Urging Gibran's Impeachment Free Meal Poisoning Case, Prabowo Alludes to Students Eating Without Spoons Learn About the Outsourcing Practices Prabowo Intends to Scrap Prabowo: Bill Gates to Support Free Nutritious Meal Program in Indonesia Prabowo Rejects 'Puppet President' Label, Denies Jokowi's Control West Java's Dedi Mulyadi Prepares Rp6bn to Send Troubled Teens to Military Barracks Indonesia to Develop Kertajati Airport into Aircraft Maintenance Hub Indonesia to Transform Kertajati Airport into Aerospace Industry Hub Celebrating World Autism Awareness Day 2025 in Bandung BMKG Reports M5.3 Earthquake Jolting Parts of West Java Over 155,000 Vehicles Leave Greater Jakarta During 2025 Easter Holiday Top 5 Airlines with the Best Food and Halal Certified Bandung Rape Case: Komnas Perempuan Urges Thorough Evaluation on Hospitals Which Airlines Serve the Best In-Flight Meals Government Addresses Indonesia Airlines' Operational Challenges Relief supplies began to arrive today on Nias, an island off the coast of Sumatra that seems to have been hit hardest by the 8.7 magnitude earthquake. An Associated Press reporter estimated that 30% of the buildings in the island's main city, Gunungsitoli, were destroyed, while Teluk Dalam, Nias' second biggest town, had sustained significant damage. Budi Atmaji Adiputro, a spokesman for Indonesia's coordinating agency for national disaster relief, confirmed that 330 bodies had been found, and said the toll was expected to rise as more bodies are believed to be trapped in collapsed buildings. The quake damaged Gunungsitoli's airstrip and prevented planes from landing, while aid efforts were hampered earlier today by heavy cloud. Later the city's residents could be seen digging through rubble, as smoke rose from burning buildings and hung over the city. A steeple had been knocked off a church in the city on the mainly Christian island. A soccer field was turned into a temporary relief centre. People swarmed around UN helicopters as they landed to deliver relief supplies. The International Organisation for Migration said it was sending trucks loaded with medical supplies, water, milk and other food items to the Sumatran port town of Sibolga, from where they would be ferried to Gunungsitoli. "The army and navy are mobilising to help," said presidential adviser Tahi Bonar Silalahi. Alessandra Boas, a member of an Oxfam International team sent to Nias by helicopter, said the aid group was heading to the worst-hit areas by motorbike. "The devastation is obvious as soon as you land," she said. "Many of the houses here have collapsed, but it's still too early for us to get a sense of the full scale of this." The Indonesian vice-president, Jusuf Kalla, had said earlier that damage to buildings on Nias suggested up to 2,000 may have died. "The exact number cannot be confirmed, but it is around 1,000 or it could be more," the governor of North Sumatra province, T Rizal Nurdin, told reporters today in Medan, the provincial capital. The earthquake sparked panic across the Indian Ocean region, still traumatised by the Boxing Day earthquake and tsunamis which left nearly 300,000 people dead or missing. Many coastal residents scrambled to higher ground after the quake struck at around 11pm local time, fearful that another tsunami could sweep through their homes. Thousands of residents fled to the island's hills and remained there this morning. Indonesia's president, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, postponed a visit to Australia planned for tomorrow and said he would fly to Nias to assess damage. "It's difficult to get information. All the government officials have run to the hills because they are afraid of a tsunami," the president's envoy said. On Nias, a police officer who identified himself as Nainggolan told an Indonesian broadcaster that survivors were trying to pull people from the rubble, but more rescuers and medics were needed. People were panicking because of aftershocks, he said. A 5.7-magnitude quake struck the area early today, the Hong Kong Observatory reported. Dave Jenkins, a New Zealand physician and surfer who runs the relief agency SurfAid International in western Sumatra, said he feared for the safety of about 10,000 people living on the tiny Banyak Islands, close to the epicentre of yesterday's quake. He said he was leaving for the islands in a boat carrying two doctors, two nurses and enough medical supplies to treat 10,000 people for three months. Nias, a renowned surfing spot, was badly hit by the December 26 earthquake. At least 340 Nias residents perished and 10,000 were left homeless. In the hours following yesterday's quake, the Thai, Sri Lankan and Indian governments cancelled their tsunami warnings. Today Thailand's prime minister, Thaksin Shinawatra, praised quick action by Thai authorities, who issued tsunami warnings about half an hour after the earthquake, only to withdraw them three and a half hours later. There was criticism that no warning was given during the December tragedy. Australia, which had also issued a tsunami warning for its western coast, this morning offered to send help once Indonesian authorities knew what was needed. The US and Japan also immediately offered to send troops. "It was horrible. The only thing on my mind was how to get out of the house immediately and save my three-and-a-half month baby girl," said 27-year-old Marlina. "I ran outside with my husband to our neighbour's house and sat there for about a half-hour, and prayed that the tsunami won't come again because we have suffered enough." Warning sirens blared along the east coast of Sri Lanka, and the president, Chandrika Kumaratunga, urged people to evacuate. "It was like reliving the same horror of three months ago," said Fatheena Faleel, who fled her home with her three children. ABC News News HomeAid plane departs for IndonesiaShare Aid plane departs for IndonesiaTopic:Earthquakes Smoke rises amid damaged buildings in the town of Gunungsitoli on the island of Nias in Indonesia. (Crack Palinggi: Reuters) Link copiedShareShare articleThe first of two Hercules planes has left Sydney carrying a military medical crew to assist in relief effort after Monday's powerful earthquake in Indonesia. It forms part of the Federal Government's initial $1 million aid package for the affected region. HMAS Kanimbla, which was on its way home after joining the aid effort in Banda Aceh after the Boxing Day earthquake, has also been diverted to Sumatra. A RAAF second plane will leave later this morning with aid supplies. They will carry medical and other supplies to thousands of people in need on the small islands of Nias and Simeulue, off the west coast of Sumatra. Indonesian authorities say the massive 8.7 earthquake which struck around midnight on Monday night killed several hundred people but the exact death toll is not known. Large parts of the main town, Gunungsitoli, have been reduced to rubble. A worker for the aid group, Oxfam, says the water system has failed completely and huge holes have been made in the roads, which will impede relief work. The United States says it is assessing the situation on Nias to make a decision on military logistical support. Meanwhile, Foreign Affairs Minister Alexander Downer has dismissed calls by the Australian Red Cross for the establishment of a permanent emergency response unit to provide immediate help after regional disasters. Red Cross chief executive Robert Tickner says the unit should be on constant stand-by in Darwin, ready to provide clean water supplies, communications and medical supplies. Mr Downer says Australia can already mobilise an emergency response to a disaster very quickly and such a unit is not required. "We don't necessarily need to devote resources to just sit there in Darwin as a unit," Mr Downer said. "We have people who can be called on extremely quickly. I think we demonstrated that after the Boxing Day tsunami and I must say I'm slightly surprised to hear that comment from Robert Tickner." Mr Downer says around 15 Australians were believed to have been in the area of Indonesia affected by this week's earthquake. He says there are still no reports of any Australians being killed or injured. Mr Downer has also moved to reassure the family of a 33-year-old Australian surfer in Indonesia, Marcus Keeshan, saying there is no need to be unduly concerned that they have not heard from him since the earthquake. Marcus Keeshan's brother Myles says he is not that concerned for his brother's safety because he was on a boat at the time. The Minister has told Channel Seven, it is understandably difficult to establish communication links with people known to have been on the more remote islands off Sumatra. "We do know from experience it can take a little while to contact people for all sorts of reasons," Mr Downer said. "In many cases they wouldn't be aware that we were trying to contact them so it does take a while to track people down and I think at this stage I should say that there's no need to be too alarmed about the Australians who are there. "We have no reports as yet of any Australians being in any way hurt." AEST = Australian Eastern Standard Time which is 10 hours ahead of GMT (Greenwich Mean Time) ABC News News HomeSurvivor found under earthquake rubbleShare Survivor found under earthquake rubbleTopic:Earthquakes Much of Gunungsitoli was destroyed by the powerful quake. (Crack Palinggi: Reuters) Link copiedShareShare articleRescuers in Indonesia have found a man trapped under mounds of rubble, six days after a powerful quake in the north-west of the country. A rescue team was trying to free the man from the rubble of a collapsed two-storey building in Gunungsitoli, the main town on Nias island. Large sections of the town were reduced to rubble in the quake, which is estimated to have killed at least 1,300 people. Volunteer doctor Marzuki Saimon says he has spoken with the trapped man. "I have been separated from my children and my wife. I cannot see them," Dr Saimon quoted the trapped survivor as saying. "I am shivering from cold and it looks like there are some broken bones and my body is all bruised." Dr Saimon said he had not been able to see the man he had spoken to but he could hear him clearly. Relatives said they had been trying to dig him and others out since the quake. They believed there were four people trapped under the building. CNN and the BBC World Service which is copyright and cannot be reproduced An earthquake with a magnitude of 8.7 off the west coast of Sumatra has killed hundreds on the Indonesian island of Nias a popular destination with foreign and local surfers The quake struck late on Monday in nearly the same spot as a magnitude-9 event last December 26 that triggered a huge tsunami which left nearly 300,000 people dead or missing across the Indian Ocean region palm-fringed Nias as a result of that quake and tsunami Nias facts: The island with some 700,000 residents is part of Indonesia's North Sumatra province It lies 125 kilometres off the west coast of Sumatra ¤ Around 95 per cent of the residents on the 5,600 square kilometres island are Christian ¤ Lagundri Bay on Nias is known as a surfers' paradise due to challenging waves up to three metres high peeling off notorious right-hand reef breaks Its airport was damaged by the latest quake please register for free or log in to your account Indonesian VP: Quake may kill up to 2,000 (Agencies) Updated: 2005-03-29 07:27 Indonesian VP: Quake may kill up to 2,000 KMT leader pays respect to martyrs China's shares hit 6-year low Woman takes helm of State forex office Vietnam family of 5 confirmed with bird flu Scientists honoured at State awards ABC News News HomeScientists give new Sumatra quake warningShare Scientists give new Sumatra quake warningTopic:Earthquakes Smoke rises amid damaged buildings in the town of Gunungsitoli on Nias island in Indonesia. (Crack Palinggi: Reuters) Link copiedShareShare articleThe Indonesian island of Sumatra, smashed by a tsunami and shaken by an enormous earthquake in the past six months, is now at risk from two potentially major quakes, one of which could generate waves 10 metres high, seismologists warn. The research team is headed by the same expert who predicted with uncanny accuracy a quake that struck Sumatra on March 28, barely three months after the December 26 temblor, one of the biggest earthquakes ever recorded. He fears the next quakes may be as high as 7.5 and 9 respectively on the Richter scale and in the latter case, cities along much of Sumatra's west coast would be exposed to a tsunami. "I think it would be irresponsible for those in charge of preparing people in this area to ignore the possibility that the earthquake could happen in a year," lead author John McCloskey, a professor of environmental sciences at Britain's University of Ulster, told AFP. The study takes a fresh look at Sumatra's seismic mosaic in the light of the last two great quakes, focussing on the two biggest faultlines. One faultline runs on the land down the western side of Sumatra, and has lateral friction, with one side trying to head north-west and the other trying to move south-east. Stress on this so-called Sumatra fault, especially in the north-west in the region of Banda Aceh, remains high, the researchers warn. "The threat of an earthquake of magnitude 7.0-7.5 on the Sumatra fault north of four degrees north (of the equator) has not receded," they say in the study, which appears in the British science journal Nature. An even greater threat lies in the second faultline, the so-called Sunda Trench, a notorious seabed crack that runs about 200 kilometres to the west of Sumatra. This area has a different and more perilous profile than the Sumatra fault, for it has vertical movement - the kind capable of creating big waves by thrusting up sections of the sea bed. It lies in a so-called "megathrust" area, in which the Australian plate is trying to push its way under the Eurasian plate to the north-east. The Sunda Trench has been a flashpoint of seismic activity for centuries. Part of its northern section, at the conjunction with the tongue-shaped Burma microplate, was the epicentre for the December 26, 2004 quake, at 9.3 the second highest ever recorded.