Aid shortage in Sumatra quake zone

In some areas, houses have been reduced to piles of bricks

Tens of thousands of people on the Indonesian island of Sumatra have spent a third night outdoors as aftershocks continue from the powerful earthquake that hit the region on Sunday.

Relief supplies organised by the government and from abroad are beginning to reach the earthquake's victims, but doctors say they are desperately short of medicines and blood transfusion supplies to treat the injured.

Officials say more than 100 people are confirmed dead, many of them crushed in their sleep by collapsing buildings when the quake struck.

Sumatrans face a third night out of doors

Rescue work has been hampered by bad weather, blocked roads and power cuts. The known number of victims is expected to rise as communications are restored with the worst affected area, Bengkulu province on Sumatra's western coast.

On the Enggano island, close to the earthquake's epicentre, 90% of buildings are said to have been destroyed.

Rising toll

"We expect the death toll to climb higher," Police Sergeant Edy Somes said.

"The quake caused several landslides in the south of the province, and it is tough for rescuers to reach that area because some roads have been blocked by tonnes of earth."

On Tuesday, the first aid started to trickle in

Police said half the dead had been found in the worst-hit area of Bengkulu province.

The BBC's Richard Galpin, reporting from the scene, says many small houses have collapsed entirely, leaving just piles of bricks and smashed tiles.

Families have been picking through the rubble trying to salvage some of their belongings. Many are still in a state of shock and terrified of further tremors.

Relief starts to arrive

After urgent appeals by the Indonesian authorities for medicines and tents from the international community, relief supplies appear to be trickling in.

"Today, everything seems to be getting better and more organised and relief aid has started to arrive and be distributed," said Iskandar Ramis, Bengkulu's deputy governor, who also heads the relief task force.

Thousands have been left homeless

A team of about 20 doctors and a Hercules plane carrying medicine have reached Bengkulu. The authorities are organising the distribution of 160 tonnes of rice.

Mr Ramis said a navy ship carrying a medical team, medicine and food would leave Bengkulu harbour on Wednesday for Enggano island.

Doctors in Bengkulu have been treating casualties in hospital car parks due to a shortage of beds, medical supplies and blood.

An advance party of a Singaporean 20-member medical team with emergency supplies and tents arrived in Bengkulu on Tuesday, the first foreign relief contribution.

The quake - which lasted several minutes - struck late on Sunday night when most people were asleep.

It measured 7.9 on the Richter scale and was felt as far as away as Jakarta and Singapore.

Fault lines

The quake, one of the strongest to hit Indonesia in recent years, was centred in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra's west coast, 33km (21 miles) below the Earth's surface.

For the survivors there is still danger from aftershocks.

A mother tries to salvage her belongings

"We are still living in trauma. Today [Tuesday] there was a moderate quake and we can also feel other tremors, which puts everyone into a panic," said Awang, a telecommunications worker.

Some were sceptical about the government's ability to help them.

"We know the government will do nothing so we help ourselves," said Desmi Yati, a mother of three, squatting on a mattress in front of her destroyed home.

Some of those affected by the quake have been e-mailing BBC News Online telling of their ordeals.

Florence from Singapore said: "The first tremor was the strongest and we could not really stand properly.

"We live in the tallest floor and are the worst affected. Downstairs, people dressed in their pyjamas were out on the streets, helpless and full of anxiety."