Number of Algerian quake victims increasing
Algeria, Local, 5/24/2003

Rescue teams in Algeria are completing the search for survivors amid hills of ruins inflected by the worst quake that hit the country in 23 years. The rescue teams continued their work using trained dogs and advanced instruments.

Despite diminishing hopes of finding survivors, specialized teams started work amid ruins of buildings leveled following the quake which hit Algiers and the surrounding areas on Wednesday evening, as these teams arrived to Algiers on Thursday evening from several European states.

A new calculation by the Algerian ministry of the interior said yesterday that number of persons killed by the quake increased to 1467 and 7207 were reported as wounded. The Algerian official radio quoted a statement issued by the ministry that 955 persons were killed in Boumerdas area, 50 Km to the east of Algiers.

The statement added that 501 persons were killed in Algiers and other ten were killed in other areas. It is, however, expected that once again the number of victims will increase because several flats collapsed with families inside in several cities, especially in Boumerdas, al-Reghaya, la-Rweibah to the east of Algeria.

An official at the Algerian ministry of the interior said yesterday that hundreds of persons are still considered missing, as reported by their relatives. Anger has increased among the people of Boumerdas town especially those who were obliged to search for relatives with their bare hands amid ruins, and complained that the aid arrived too late.

However, thousands of Algerians spent their night outside their homes of fears that new aftershocks will take place and will result in falling buildings that were already damaged by the quake.

In Boumerdas, people evacuated from their houses in a town that seemed as a city of ghosts. The rescue teams recommended the citizens not return back home before making sure that these houses are safe and to listen to the radio continuously to follow up more instructions.

However, electricity and gas were cut, water supplies and telephone line, as well from certain damaged area. At Algeria's airport, scores of military planes arrived many of them carrying medications and medical teams from France, Austria, Switzerland, Germany, Britain, Italy and one carrying blankets from Egypt and another plane from Libya carrying foodstuffs.

Algerian officials said that the state of alert was announced among the security forces to prevent looting operations in the country.

Previous Stories:
  Strongest quake in two decades hits Algeria, 1100 killed, thousands homeless   (5/23/2003)
  Another group of European hostages in the Algerian desert freed   (5/20/2003)
  Algeria undergoes crisis of improving its image internationaly over tourists issue   (5/16/2003)

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