Jakarta - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono chaired a limited cabinet meeting at Halim Perdanakusuma airport to discuss the management of Wednesday`s magnitude-7.6 earthquake in Padang, West Sumatra.

Immediately after arriving at Halim Perdanakusuma airport from Boston, the United State, with a stopover at Japan`s Nagoya airport, the president chaired the meeting which was attended by Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo AS, acting Coordinating Minister for Economy Sri Mulyani Indrawati, Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa, Law and Human Rights Minister Andi Mattalatta, Communication and Information Minister Muhammad Nuh, and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi.

Minister/State Secretary Hatta Rajasa said the president planned to inspect the quake-hit areas in Padang on Thursday but the plan was still under consideration because of bad weather in West Sumatra at present.

Rajasa said the main focus of the meeting was on disaster management in the aftermath of 7.6 magnitude earthquake which rocked Padang on Wedensday evening, leaving more than 200 people killed and thousands others were still trapped in the rubble of collapsed houses and buildings.

During a stopover at Japan`s Nagoya airport before leaving for Jakarta on Thursday morning, President Yudhoyono said emergency response to the West Sumatra earthquake was underway.

"An emergency response is already underway and will continue," the president said at Nagoya airport.

The president, during the flight to Nagoya from Boston. made a phone call to Coordinating Minister for People`s Welfare Aburizal Bakri who said West Sumatra provincial administration had made an emergency response soon after the earthquake.

"I have been informed by the people`s welfare minister that the provincial government has already initiated an emergency response," President Yudhoyono said at Nagoya airport.

At Nagoya airport, the head of state tried calling Vice President Jusuf Kalla and West Sumatra Governor Gamawan Fauzi several times for more information on the earthquake but he could not get through.

-Antara, 01 october 2009-