GUNUNG SITOLI, Indonesia - Indonesia's government acknowledged today it has been slow in delivering food and water to victims of the nation's latest massive earthquake, as rescuers pulled survivors and bodies out of rubble on two islands.

The government lowered its estimated death toll to between 400 and 500 people from an earlier estimate of 1,000; the United Nations, meanwhile, raised its toll to 624.

Survivors living under tarpaulins since Monday night's 8.7-magnitude quake said they were going hungry, but in signs of hope, rescuers pulled a 13-year-old girl alive from a collapsed five-story building, and a group of 11 Western surfers missing since the quake were found alive by a search helicopter. A baby girl was also born in a makeshift hospital.

Indonesia's president visited the remote island, which bore the brunt of the earthquake in the same Indian Ocean region where an even-larger quake three months earlier triggered Asia's tsunami catastrophe.

While touring Gunung Sitoli, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and his wife, Kristiani Herawati, were confronted by two young girls who wept uncontrollably. One said she had lost her siblings while the other said her father died.

Looking distressed, Herawati stroked one child's head and said: "Be patient, we will help you."

Gunung Sitoli remained without power and running water today, as islanders and rescuers frantically searched through destroyed buildings for survivors, bodies and belongings. Aftershocks continued to rattle the area.

Under a tarp on the grounds of a mosque, Yusman Gule had no water to mix with his meager dried food, so he fed 6-year-old daughter Yumni with just the powder. She lost an ear, broke an arm and badly squashed her fingers in the quake, but still managed to smile.

"Don't leave us here to die," the father said. "It's difficult to find food. All we can do is beg."

Later today, a crowd of hungry and angry islanders mobbed Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah, demanding food. "You have been working so slowly," a woman yelled in images shown on Metro TV. "We haven't had any food since the quake."

Chamsyah pleaded for patience, saying food would arrive later in the day.

"We admit the distribution has been slow," he said later. "We can understand that people are dissatisfied, but thanks be to God the situation is getting better."

Indonesian workers dug for five hours before pulling a 13-year-old girl from rubble where she had been trapped for 52 hours. She was unhurt apart from some scratches on her foot.

Red Cross official Herri Ansyah said the search for survivors would continue for several days.