Aftershocks rock Indonesia island

http://news.bbc.co.uk/go/rss/-/1/hi/world/asia-pacific/6994386.stm

Version 0 of 1.

Aftershocks are continuing to rock the Indonesian island of Sumatra, following major earthquakes earlier this week.

A temblor with a magnitude of 6.9 struck off the island's west coast on Friday, prompting officials to briefly issue another tsunami warning.

The aftershock was 153km (95 miles) southwest of Bengkulu, the area hardest hit by the series of quakes.

At least 13 people are known to have died and thousands more have been left homeless by the earthquakes.

The first earthquake, on Wednesday evening, had a magnitude of 8.4, making it the world's strongest this year.

It was followed by a 7.8 magnitude quake and a series of shocks. A number of tsunami warnings have been issued and lifted.

<a class="bodl" href="#map">See where the earthquakes hit</a>

The damage is still being assessed but officials say it appears not to be as extensive as initially feared.

No vehicles

The worst of the destruction is in the areas around the cities of Bengkulu and Padang, on Sumatra's west coast.

Hundreds of buildings are reported to have collapsed.

<a class="" href="/1/hi/world/4126809.stm">Animated guide: Earthquakes</a> <a class="" href="/1/hi/world/2059330.stm">Deadly history of quakes</a>

The BBC's Lucy Williamson, in Bengkulu, says the aftershocks are frightening people, especially in areas to the north of the province where up to 80% of the houses have been destroyed.

The local government has begun delivering food and tents to those sleeping outside, but its relief effort is suffering from a lack of vehicles to carry the aid.

Less than a third of areas in the badly-hit north Bengkulu district have so far been reached and tents are being restricted to five for each area of the district, our correspondent says.

Several international aid agencies have already pledged thousands of dollars in emergency aid.

But Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said that an aerial survey of the area had shown that overall damage was "minimal".

Wednesday's earthquake was one of the most powerful in Indonesia since the tremor that caused the Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004.

That measured 8.9 and struck under the sea near the northern Sumatran province of Aceh, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 220,000 people around the rim of the Indian Ocean.

WHERE THE EARTHQUAKES HIT Two earthquakes in same area, south-east of Padang, SumatraFirst earthquake at 1810 (1110 GMT) on Wednesday, magnitude 8.4Second earthquake at 0649 on Thursday (2349 GMT on Wednesday), magnitude 7.8Third earthquake of magnitude 6.4 at 1748 (0948 GMT) on Thursday, off northern Sulawesi

<a class="bodl" href="#upagain">Click here to return</a>