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| Indonesia quake deaths pass 750 | |
| (41 minutes later) | |
| At least 770 people are now known to have died in a powerful quake that struck the Indonesian island of Sumatra on Wednesday, the government says. | |
| Rescuers are working into the night in a race to find survivors in the rubble of hundreds of collapsed buildings. | |
| Almost 2,400 people have been injured, and the death toll is expected to rise further, officials say. | Almost 2,400 people have been injured, and the death toll is expected to rise further, officials say. |
| The 7.6-magnitude quake struck close to the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province. | The 7.6-magnitude quake struck close to the city of Padang, the capital of West Sumatra province. |
| The earthquake brought down hospitals, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides. | The earthquake brought down hospitals, schools and shopping malls, cut power lines and triggered landslides. |
| AT THE SCENE Karishma Vaswani, BBC News, Padang | AT THE SCENE Karishma Vaswani, BBC News, Padang |
| We have seen dozens of homes and buildings damaged as we have made our way into Padang, one of the areas believed worst affected by the powerful earthquake. | We have seen dozens of homes and buildings damaged as we have made our way into Padang, one of the areas believed worst affected by the powerful earthquake. |
| There are huge cracks in the concrete roads here, a few feet wide, showing the full force of the tremors. Rescue officials have told us some of the worst damage is in the heart of the city where they say a shopping mall has collapsed. At Padang airport scores of families from across the country arrived this morning looking for their loved ones. | There are huge cracks in the concrete roads here, a few feet wide, showing the full force of the tremors. Rescue officials have told us some of the worst damage is in the heart of the city where they say a shopping mall has collapsed. At Padang airport scores of families from across the country arrived this morning looking for their loved ones. |
| Phone lines in the area are still down so communication is a challenge, but many in Padang have ventured out, driving around the city in motorcycles and in cars to assess the extent of the damage. | Phone lines in the area are still down so communication is a challenge, but many in Padang have ventured out, driving around the city in motorcycles and in cars to assess the extent of the damage. |
| The social affairs and health ministries gave the latest confirmed death toll of 770. | The social affairs and health ministries gave the latest confirmed death toll of 770. |
| But earlier Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's disaster centre in Jakarta, predicted that thousands had died. | But earlier Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's disaster centre in Jakarta, predicted that thousands had died. |
| A second quake of 6.8 struck close to Padang at 0852 local time (0152 GMT) on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. | A second quake of 6.8 struck close to Padang at 0852 local time (0152 GMT) on Thursday but there were no immediate reports of casualties or damage. |
| Heavy machinery | Heavy machinery |
| The first earthquake struck at 1716 local time (1016 GMT) on Wednesday, some 85km (55 miles) under the sea, north-west of Padang, the US Geological Survey said. | The first earthquake struck at 1716 local time (1016 GMT) on Wednesday, some 85km (55 miles) under the sea, north-west of Padang, the US Geological Survey said. |
| One of the worst disasters appeared to be the collapse of a school in Padang. | One of the worst disasters appeared to be the collapse of a school in Padang. |
| One mother, Andriana, told AFP news agency she had been at the school since the first quake occurred, hoping for news of her 14-year-old daughter. | One mother, Andriana, told AFP news agency she had been at the school since the first quake occurred, hoping for news of her 14-year-old daughter. |
| "I haven't been home yet and keep praying to God my daughter is alive." | "I haven't been home yet and keep praying to God my daughter is alive." |
| Police said nine children had been found alive but that eight bodies had also been pulled from the rubble so far. | Police said nine children had been found alive but that eight bodies had also been pulled from the rubble so far. |
| In pictures: Sumatra earthquake Eyewitness: Sumatra earthquake The Pacific 'Ring of Fire' | In pictures: Sumatra earthquake Eyewitness: Sumatra earthquake The Pacific 'Ring of Fire' |
| Rescuers and medical workers are struggling to cope with the amount of destruction and the sheer number of victims. | |
| Titi Moektijasih, of the UN Office of Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, told AFP that emergency efforts so far were insufficient. | |
| "Compared to the extent of the damage, you see there should be more equipment, more people to do this." | |
| David Lange, a doctor with Surfaid International, told the BBC one of the hospitals was "completely destroyed" and medical workers were struggling to cope. | David Lange, a doctor with Surfaid International, told the BBC one of the hospitals was "completely destroyed" and medical workers were struggling to cope. |
| "They are trying to operate in the parking lot, in a tent, in the mud." | "They are trying to operate in the parking lot, in a tent, in the mud." |
| Bob McKerrow, Red Cross head of operations in Indonesia, told the BBC it had more than 400 personnel on the ground, including 50 doctors flown in on Thursday morning. | Bob McKerrow, Red Cross head of operations in Indonesia, told the BBC it had more than 400 personnel on the ground, including 50 doctors flown in on Thursday morning. |
| "But it's just such a vast area to be working in with such bad infrastructure," he said. "I mean the roads and bridges have all been damaged, so [there is] a challenge ahead of us." | "But it's just such a vast area to be working in with such bad infrastructure," he said. "I mean the roads and bridges have all been damaged, so [there is] a challenge ahead of us." |
| PADANG: KEY FACTS Population of 900,000, capital of West Sumatra provinceOn coastal plain, surrounded by mountains inlandLies on one of world's most active fault linesNear major quake epicentres in March 2007 and April 2005 class="" href="/2/hi/asia-pacific/8284965.stm">Profile: Padang | |
| The quake brought down telephone lines, severely affecting communications with the region and making it difficult to assess the scale of the damage. Power has now been restored to some parts of Padang. | |
| Health ministry teams and Indonesian soldiers have arrived in the city to aid the search for survivors. A shortage of heavy machinery remains a problem. | |
| Food, medicine and body bags have begun to arrive. Tents and blankets were also on their way to help the homeless, the health ministry said. | Food, medicine and body bags have begun to arrive. Tents and blankets were also on their way to help the homeless, the health ministry said. |
| Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono was on his way to Padang. | |
| "Let's not underestimate [the disaster]," he said as he left Jakarta. "Let's be prepared for the worst. We will do everything we can to help the victims." | "Let's not underestimate [the disaster]," he said as he left Jakarta. "Let's be prepared for the worst. We will do everything we can to help the victims." |
| 'Getting nasty' | |
| Witnesses to the first quake said residents ran out of buildings in Padang - which has a population of 900,000 - and surrounding cities. | Witnesses to the first quake said residents ran out of buildings in Padang - which has a population of 900,000 - and surrounding cities. |
| MAJOR INDONESIAN QUAKES 26 Dec 2004: Asian tsunami kills 170,000 in Indonesia alone28 March 2005: About 1,300 killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hits the coast of Sumatra27 May 2006: Quake hits ancient city of Yogyakarta, killing 5,00017 July 2006: A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills 550 people Animated guide: Earthquakes | MAJOR INDONESIAN QUAKES 26 Dec 2004: Asian tsunami kills 170,000 in Indonesia alone28 March 2005: About 1,300 killed after a magnitude 8.7 quake hits the coast of Sumatra27 May 2006: Quake hits ancient city of Yogyakarta, killing 5,00017 July 2006: A tsunami after a 7.7 magnitude quake in West Java province kills 550 people Animated guide: Earthquakes |
| An American in Padang, Greg Hunt, told Reuters this was the worst earthquake he had experienced. | |
| "It's getting nasty in town. It's chaos. There's no fuel, people are looting. It's getting worse because people have no food, no money." | |
| Australia is among the countries that have offered to send emergency assistance to Indonesia if needed. | |
| Wednesday's quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. | Wednesday's quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. |
| That quake struck roughly 600km north-west of Padang. | That quake struck roughly 600km north-west of Padang. |
| Geologists have long warned that Padang could one day be completely destroyed by an earthquake because of its location. | Geologists have long warned that Padang could one day be completely destroyed by an earthquake because of its location. |
| Western Sumatra is a mainly rural area with dense tropical forest and several national parks. Many of its beaches are popular with surfers. | Western Sumatra is a mainly rural area with dense tropical forest and several national parks. Many of its beaches are popular with surfers. |
| The earthquake struck nearly 12 hours after a powerful quake in the South Pacific that triggered a devastating tsunami but experts said the two events were unrelated. | The earthquake struck nearly 12 hours after a powerful quake in the South Pacific that triggered a devastating tsunami but experts said the two events were unrelated. |
| "They were 10,000km (6,200 miles) apart," New Zealand seismologist Bill Fry told AFP news agency. | "They were 10,000km (6,200 miles) apart," New Zealand seismologist Bill Fry told AFP news agency. |
| "You can get quakes that are close temporally and spatially as one transfers stress to another place against the fault, but that's not possible this far apart." | "You can get quakes that are close temporally and spatially as one transfers stress to another place against the fault, but that's not possible this far apart." |
| Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the earthquake? Send us your experiences using the form below: | Are you in the area? Have you been affected by the earthquake? Send us your experiences using the form below: |
| Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. | Send your pictures and videos to yourpics@bbc.co.uk or text them to +44 7725 100 100. If you have a large file you can upload here. |
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