E. Timor ceases search mission

E. Timor ceases search mission

DILI, East Timor: A military Search and Rescue (SAR) team on Monday abandoned its efforts to look for people reported missing since last week's powerful earthquake.

The SAR team from the Marine command in Surabaya has combed the Dili beach and sent its divers to look for survivors but found none in the last three days, First Sergeant Meseri, who is heading the team, told Antara.

The military command in East Timor meanwhile reported that the death toll from the quake, which measured 6.9 on the Richter scale, reached eight yesterday with eight others still reported as missing. (emb)