Stocks of emergency shelters, hygiene kits and clothing are ready to be distributed by aid teams funded by British charity Oxfam once workers can get through to the worst affected areas.The British Red Cross has launched a fundraising appeal to help those caught up in the earthquake and two other natural disasters which have swept the Asia Pacific region in the last two days.In addition to the Indonesian earthquake a tsunami, triggered by another tremor, with a magnitude of between eight and 8.3, hit islands in the south Pacific Ocean. The magnitude 7.6 tremor struck off the coastal city of Padang, making homes, hotels, schools, shops and other buildings collapse. At one stage Health Ministry crisis centre head Rustam Pakaya said the death toll was feared to top more than 1,000
But Priyadi Kardono, spokesman for the national disaster agency, said it was now believed between 100 and 200 people had been killed. He added that 500 houses had collapsed and around 100 people were buried.
The tremor was felt around the region, with some high-rise buildings in the neighbouring city state of Singapore, 275 miles away, evacuating their staff.
A regional tsunami warning was issued, the Pacific Tsunami Warning Centre and Japan's meteorological agency said. It was unclear if there were any casualties.
"Hundreds of houses have been damaged along the road," a witness in Padang said.
"There are some fires, bridges are cut and there is extreme panic here, maybe because water pipes are broken and there is flooding in the streets."
Indonesia is situated in a belt of intense seismic activity known as the "Pacific Ring of Fire".The earlier tsunami smashed into the Pacific island nations of American Samoa and Samoa killing possibly more than 100 people. (Sky News)
