Two quakes rock Indonesia, Thousands feared dead

01 October, 2009 09:37:00 editor

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scene of devastation in Sumatra

Two powerful earthquakes have hit Sumatra island of Indonesia - one the southern city of Padang on Wednesday night and the second twelve hours later at about 150 miles south of Padang at a depth of just under 20 miles. Thousands are feared dead..

The earthquake was felt hundreds of miles away in Malaysia and Singapore, causing buildings there to sway. The second quake hit about 150 miles (240km) south of Padang, at a depth of just under 20 miles.

At least 500 buildings in Padang had collapsed or were badly damaged, including hospitals, mosques, a shopping centre and a school, where more than 30 children were missing, feared dead. The extent of damage in surrounding areas was still unclear.

The first earthquake had a magnitude of 7.6 while the second was of 6.6 magnitude. .

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, who arrived back from the G20 meeting on Thursday, told reporters that the country could coordinate the relief efforts but welcomed help from abroad.

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