Efforts to evacuate Malaysian students affected by the 7.6 magnitude earthquake which struck Padang in Indonesia two days ago have been successful with the return of 323 of them this morning.

They were flown back by four Royal Malaysian Air Force transport planes.

The first group of 182 students arrived at the RMAF base in Subang at 5.05am, while the last group, comprising 23 students, arrived at 8.30am.

Also on the flight were several other Malaysians who went to Padang on a business trip and holiday, but found themselves stranded due to the disaster which had so far killed 770 people.

Until now, there had been no report of a Malaysian killed in the tragedy.

The students, including a second-year female medical student at Andalas University, only known as Fernisha, who suffered a spinal injury, were met on arrival by members of their families, as well as Deputy Foreign Minister A Kohilan Pillay and Higher Education Ministry director-general Radin Umar.

Fernisha had been admitted to the Kuala Lumpur Hospital for treatment.

Efforts to send relief aid

Meanwhile in Jakarta, efforts are being made by the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia to send relief aid to the disaster area.

Deputy head of mission at the Malaysian Embassy in Indonesia, Amran Mohamed Zain, said a few relief teams from Malaysia, like Smart Team and Mercy Malaysia, were ready to be flown to West Sumatra.

"But, we have been advised by the Indonesian authority that it was best they come tomorrow," he told Bernama today.

He said the embassy was coordinating with Kuala Lumpur in getting ready the necessary equipments, like generators, for use by the relief teams, as well as making arrangements for food supply, medicine, clothing, blankets and other relief aid from Malaysia to be sent to the Indonesian authority in Padang.

Amran also said officials from the embassy were still in Padang to look for Malaysian who might still be there or hospitalised there, but had yet to be traced.

Yesterday, he said, the embassy obtained a list of 15 names of Malaysian, who were said to be in Padang, from their relatives who called the embassy's operations room.

"Perhaps some may have taken a flight home. We urge them or their families to contact the embassy if they do," he added. - Bernama