Padang, Indonesia - Rescuers have so far recovered more than 270 bodies, following a powerful earthquake that hit Indonesia's West Sumatra province on Monday night.
Antorizon, head of Emergency Response section at the provincial National Search and Rescue agency (Basarnas), said 412 people are still missing and more than 4 000 families have been displaced.
He said most of those bodies were found in four sub-districts badly stricken by the 7.2 magnitude earthquake. Those four sub-districts - South Pagai, North Pagai, Sikakap and South Sipora - are in Mentawai regency, off the West Sumatra coast.
"The Basarnas will dispatch another ship in the evening, carrying relief aids, volunteers and paramedics to the tsunami-hit area," he said, adding that four disaster-relief ships had reached the area Tuesday afternoon.
A total of 50 tons of logistics and relief aid for the victims were already shipped to the areas, he said.
Meanwhile, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono arrived in West Sumatra on Wednesday afternoon.
The President, who cut his official visit to Vietnam for ASEAN Summit, was scheduled to inspect rescue efforts conducted in the tsunami-affected area on Thursday.
Sea transport is considered risky for the ships to transport passengers or logistics to the disaster areas, due to the high tides, which are also delaying the rescue operation.
