Officials: 3,000 People Trapped Due to Indonesian Quake

Officials say at least 3,000 people may still be trapped in rubble from a powerful earthquake that devastated Indonesia's port city of Padang.

The United Nations says the death toll is at least 1,100 from the 7.6-magnitude undersea quake, which hit Wednesday off Indonesia's Sumatra island.

Rescue teams are struggling Saturday to reach victims in and around Padang, a city of 900,000 people where large buildings, including hospitals, mosques and churches, were destroyed by the quake.

In one rescue attempt, soldiers, police and volunteers tried to reach people buried in the rubble of the giant Ambacang hotel. Officials say a survivor in the hotel sent a text message saying a few people in the rubble were still alive.

In rural areas outside of Padang, some villages have been wiped out by landslides triggered by the earthquake. Officials say at least 600 people are missing due to the landslides.

Other countries have pledged financial aid. The United States offered to send $300,000 in immediate assistance plus another $3 million later.

Indonesia is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an arc of volcanos and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin. In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake along the same fault line caused a tsunami that killed more than 200,000 people in several countries.

Some information for this report was provided by AFP, AP and Reuters.