The Good Ship Lolly Pop!!!
Navy Sends Ships To Aid Quake Victims
Officials Estimate 1,000 Deaths From Earthquake
POSTED: 12:48 pm EST March 30, 2005
UPDATED: 4:41 pm EST March 30, 2005
WASHINGTON -- The Pentagon says two U.S. Navy ships are heading to Indonesia to help after Monday's earthquake.
A military spokesman said a hospital ship and a supply ship should arrive at Nias island in six days. That's the area hit hardest by the magnitude 8.7 quake.
The two ships helped in the relief effort after December's devastating tsunami, which hit in the same general area. They've been on a humanitarian mission to East Timor.
The military spokesman said the ships are responding to an informal request for help from Indonesia. He said other military resources are at the ready at Pacific Ocean bases, if needed.
Indonesian officials estimate 1,000 people or more died in the quake and rescuers are still searching for victims. Most of the casualties and destruction were on Nias, just 75 miles from the quake's epicenter.