Over 75 are confirmed dead and this death toll is expected to rise. Buildings, including at least two hospitals, were brought down by the 7.6 magnitude quake, centered about 50km (30 miles) off the coast of Sumatra. The coastal city of Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, is among the areas hardest hit.

Vice-President Jusuf Kalla said the death toll was likely to continue to rise sharply, as so many buildings including schools, shops and hotels had collapsed. The surfers Hotel of choice The Bumiminang is said to be just one of these Hotels (unconfirmed).

This quake arrived mere hours after a tsunami from a separate quake killed more than 100 people in the South Pacific. A tsunami watch issued by the Pacific Tsunami Warning Center in the wake of the Indonesian quake has been lifted. Health Minister Siti Fadilah Supari said the quake was one of the biggest in Indonesia in recent years. “This is a high-scale disaster, more powerful than the earthquake in Yogyakarta in 2006 when more than 3,000 people died,” he said. Local media reported the roof of the city’s airport had also collapsed.

Tracks have heard flights will be able to go ahead. Reports from frrom friends working in the area said the weather was hindering efforts to clear up after the disaster, especially the rain and darkness. The shaking could be felt in high buildings in the capital, Jakarta, and was also felt in Singapore and Malaysia. The quake was along the same fault line that spawned the 2004 Asian tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people in a dozen countries. Geologist’s warnings that Padang could one day be completely destroyed by an earthquake because of its location ringing way to true right now.

For those concerned about friends and family contact DFAT emergency helpline for information on family and friends: 1300 555 135

DONATIONS: surfaidinternational