An earthquake measuring 5.8 at the Richter scale again hit Mentawai islands, West Sumatra province, on Wednesday at 5.15 PM local time. Residents of Sikakap subdistrict, district of Mentawai islands, felt the tremor so strongly but it ended quickly, ANTARA reported. The Mentawai people living in some islands off the Sumatra Island were shocked by a powerful earthquake followed by a tsunami on October 25, 2010. The magnitude of last year's Mentawai earthquake was recorded at 7.2 on the Richter scale. The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) stated the strong earthquake followed by a tsunami in Mentawai Islands had affected damaged a number of villages and caused 408 deaths, 303 people gone missing and 270 others sustained severe injuries. In assisting the 2010 tsunami disaster survivors, the distribution of relief aid was carried out with the help of choppers and ships. The government had also planned to bear the living cost of the Mentawai tsunami victims until the rehabilitation and reconstruction efforts had been completed. "The living cost of each tsunami victim has been projected to reach Rp 6,000 per day. The maximum number of people in each family entitled to receive such assistance is five. The government will bear the living cost of tsunami victims for one month," Head of the West Sumatra Provincial Social Service Kafrawi said recently.
