Rescueres seeks the victims under the Ambacang Hotel that destroyed by powerful quake that hit Padang City (10/1). (ANTARA/Widodo S. Jusuf/*)

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Padang, W Sumatra (ANTARA News)- The magnitude-7.6 earthquake that devastated West Sumatra province on Wednesday (Sept.30) has caused damage to 24 star-rated hotels in Padang with their material losses estimated at billions of rupiah, a tourism official said.

The losses do not include damage to roads and other infrastructure in the tourist areas of Padang city, head of the city`s tourism office, Edi Hasmy, said here on Saturday.

"Based on a survey of the 47 hotels existing in Padang, 24 of them proved to have suffered damage with the Ambacang Hotel on Jalan Bundo Kanduang, the Rocky Plaza Hotel on Jalan Permindo, the Hayamwuruk Hotel on Jalan Hayamwuruk, the Mariani Hotel on Jalan Bundo Kanduang and the Nuansa Hotel on Jalan Samudra damaged the worst," he said.

Part of the Bumi Minang hotel building was destroyed, the Dipo hotel on Jalan Diponegoro was damaged moderately, while the Inna Muara Hotel was partially damaged but can still operate while the Sherly Chip restaurant was destroyed.

"We were only able to record the level of damage to the star-rated hotels as tourist attractions. To assign staff for inventory is still difficult because employees are still traumatized," he said.

In effort to restore the image of tourism and reduce the burden of the hotel owners to rehabilitate their hotel buildings, the Padang city administration will provide incentives in the form of lowering taxes and fees for the issuance of building permits (IMBs), he said.

During the emergency response period, however, the Padang municipal administration would still need the central government`s assistance especially from the tourism affairs ministry, he said.

The marketing director general of the tourism ministry, Sapta Nirwandar had checked the damage of the tourism facilities in Padang, and the Director General of destinations will visit Padang on Monday (Oct.5) to conduct similar activities, he said.

The Padang city administration hoped that the central government would provide assistance to restore the quake-hit tourism facility conditions, especially budget support that can be allocated in 2010.

The magnitude-7,6 earthquake was centered 57 km northwest of Pariaman, West Sumatra, at a depth of 71 km. (*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli
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