25,000 feared dead in Indonesia alone

BANDA ACEH - Bodies litter the streets of Aceh province in Indonesia, where it is feared more than 25,000 people may have died from Sunday's earthquake and tsunami.

Decomposing corpses spread a foul smell over the provincial capital, Banda Aceh, on the northern tip of Sumatra island and fresh water, food and fuel were in short supply.

Fear was mixed with anger as residents queued outside the few open shops guarded by soldiers.

"Where is the assistance? There is nothing. All the government are asleep," said Mirza, 28.

"I've been standing here for an hour. There is nothing at home," said Budi, 24.

Hundreds of soldiers and volunteers collected corpses for mass burial in a bid to prevent disease in the province, where troops are stationed to combat a rebellion which began in 1976.

Whole battalions of soldiers and police are among the dead and missing and separatist rebels have announced a ceasefire while people search for loved ones.

But foreign aid agencies are still waiting for official permission to enter the area.

In Banda Aceh, on a field about four times the size of a soccer pitch, more than 1000 bodies lay where they died while watching a sports event on Sunday.

Indonesian Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the death toll could hit 10,000 in this area of the country alone. In a separate report, national news agency Antara quoted him as saying he feared the toll could rise as high as 25,000. He said 100,000 people had been injured.

The official death toll given by the Government is around 5000.

Families frantically sought loved ones yesterday. Thousands of others were traumatised, fearing fresh quakes and tsunamis.

"We're scared about the next earthquake and tsunami," Faizal, a resident of Banda Aceh, told El Shinta radio.

Army resources are stretched to the limit.

"Many bodies are still lying on the streets. There just aren't enough body bags," said Lieutenant Colonel Budi Santoso.

Hundreds of bodies still lay yesterday in a market in Banda Aceh's outskirts, covered with bright orange plastic sheets.

- REUTERS