By RIA Novosti,
Jakarta : The U.S. government has allocated $300,000 in emergency aid to Indonesia, hit by a powerful quake that killed at least 1,100 people and injured many more, the U.S. Embassy in Jakarta said on Friday.
The emergency aid would be used to provide for the most pressing needs, above all non-food items, the embassy said in a press release.
In addition, the United States pledged to allocate $3 million in further assistance.
The island of Sumatra was hit by a 7.6-magnitude quake on Wednesday and a series of aftershocks with magnitude up to 6.9 on Thursday. Hundreds of buildings have collapsed, burying people under the rubble. According to UN estimates, the death toll has already climbed to about 1,100 people.
Earlier in the day, China announced it had allocated $500,000 in aid to Indonesia. Britain said it was sending a team of rescuers and search equipment to Indonesia, and Russia’s emergencies ministry sent rescue workers, doctors and a mobile hospital to the country on Thursday.
Among other countries that have promised assistance are Australia, Japan, Singapore, South Korea and Switzerland.
Part of the Pacific’s Ring of Fire, Indonesia is in the world’s most seismically active region, registering 6,000-7,000 earthquakes with a magnitude of 4.0 or above annually.