VIVAnews - After the 7.6-magnitude earthquake shocked West Sumatra on Wednesday, Sept. 30, European Commission president Jose Manuel Durão Barroso stated his grave sympathy towards the victims through President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The European Commission allocates 3 million euro to aid the victims.
"It is with great sadness that I learned of the earthquake which hit western Sumatra yesterday. On behalf of the European Commission and on my own behalf, allow me to offer the people of Indonesia our sincere condolences and our deepest sympathy and solidarity with the families of the victims of this tragedy," said Barroso in a written statement sent from the Delegation of the European Commission to Indonesia in Jakarta to VIVAnews on Friday, Oct. 2.
Barroso added that the 3 million euro is a followup of President Yudhoyono's statement that welcomes help from other countries and foreign institutions.
An emergency response team from the European Commission’s Humanitarian Aid has been deployed to Padang to evaluate the victims' necessities.
Karel De Guhct, the European Commissioner for Development and Humanitarian Aid, said, "I am deeply concerned by the news coming out of Sumatra. The search for survivors buried in the rubble of collapsed buildings is ongoing and we fear there may be many more victims."
Meanwhile, the number of death toll in Padang has reached 1,100 people, according to the UN Humanitarian Agency's estimation.
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Translated by: Ariyantri E. Tarman
