SOME 23 JAPANESE DOCTORS ARRIVE IN QUAKE-HIT PARIAMAN

Pariaman, Oct. 3 (ANTARA) - Some 23 doctors from Japan arrived in Pariaman, West Sumatra, on Friday to help victims of the deadly earthquake which devastated West Sumatra last Sept. 30, 2009.

The rescue team from Japan was greeted by Pariaman Deputy Mayor Mukhlis Rahman and later proceeded to Pariaman Public Hospital.

The hospital was currently treating 199 seriously injured survivors and 29 slightly wounded victims on Friday. The hospital had received some 29 dead bodies up to Friday.

Hamada, a spokesman of the doctor team from the Japanese International Cooperation Agency (JICA), said his team would focus on seriously injured victims.

"We choose to come to Pariaman because it is the worst-hit area and many victims suffer from broken bones," Hamada said.

Deputy Mayor Mukhlir Rahman said many local residents suffered from broken bones and trauma due to the 7.6 earthquake.

The powerful temblor has devastated 10,581 houses, 88 public facilities, 77 places of worship, 76 school buildings, and 68 government offices.

The disaster inflicted a total material loss of more than Rp1 trillion.

More than 500 people were reportedly killed and over 300 others were believed trapped under collapsed buildings in the earthquake which hit West Sumatra.