Students pray for friends, teachers

Students of junior high school SLTPN I Darul Imarah (see photo) in Lampeurut, Aceh Besar, were still deep in grief, with many of their schoolmates and teachers not in attendance at the mass prayer assembly the school held on Wednesday.

Wiping their tears in silence, students listened to prayers being recited by a teacher, Arifin Zainal, and read from the Koran.

"We pray for the students, teachers, and all the people who died in this calamity," school headmaster Ainal Mardiah said.

So far, she said, six of the school's teachers and five students are known to have died as a result of the earthquake and tidal wave on Dec. 26.

The school is still collecting information on casualties. Only about 100 of its 300 students have attended class since the school reopened three days ago.

"Although school has started, we are only giving students religious instructions until Jan. 26. After that, usual school activities will resume," Ainal explained. (JP/Ruslan Sangadji)