U.S. Navy Arrives in Indonesian Quake Zone

The massive relief effort following Indonesia's deadly earthquake received a boost Friday when U.S. Navy ships and helicopters arrived to distribute aid and help thousands of struggling survivors.

Indonesian officials said Friday the death toll from the Sept. 30 quake on Sumatra island had reached 784, with little hope remaining for 242 people listed as missing.

Chief Petty Officer Ty Swartz said the USS Denver and USS Campbell arrived late Thursday in West Sumatra province carrying tons of aid and heavy equipment.

Four helicopters from the ships arrived Friday at an Indonesian military base in the hard-hit city of Padang, where they would begin flights to distribute aid and evacuate injured people from outlying villages cut off by landslides.

At least 180,000 buildings were toppled or damaged in the quake, which also caused landslides that swept away entire villages in the hills.

The ships' personnel joined the 69-member U.S. Air Force Humanitarian Assistance Rapid Response Team, which arrived earlier this week and set up a mobile field hospital, which can treat between 250 to 400 patients a day, Staff Sgt, Veronica Pierce said in a statement.

Three of Padang's four hospitals were severely damaged by the earthquake, which limited medical services.

The U.S. military deployment is the largest in Indonesia since the 2004 Indian Ocean tsunami that killed 230,000 in a dozen countries, roughly half in Aceh.

The major role the U.S. military played in the multinational relief effort for tsunami victims improved America's standing here at a time of negative perceptions following the 2003 invasion of Iraq.

International aid groups from some 30 nations have rushed to Sumatra to take part in the relief and recovery effort.