Earthquake kills 75 in Indonesia; Tsunami hits Samoa islands

In the past 72 hours several major natural disasters have killed hundreds of people and destroyed thousands of buildings and homes.  In Indonesia, a 7.6 magnitude earthquake hit early this morning near the city of Padang, on the island of Sumatra. At least 75 people are dead and officials say thousands could be trapped under the rubble.  At least one shopping mall and two hospitals collapsed.

This follows another earthquake with an 8.0 magnitude that struck near the South Pacific island nations of Samoa and Tonga and the US territory of American Samoa.  The quake triggered a massive tsunami that killed an estimated 100 people, including more than 30 people in American Samoa. President Obama addressed the disaster earlier today.

“My deepest sympathies are with the families who have lost loved ones and the many people whose lives have been affected by the earthquake and the Tsunami. To aid in the response I´ve declared this a major disaster, to speed the deployment of resources and FEMA, the Federal Emergency Management Agency is working closely with emergency responders on the ground and the coast guard is helping to provide immediate help to those in need.  We also stand ready to help our friends in neighboring Samoa and throughout the region and we´ll continue to monitor the situation closely as we keep the many people who´ve been touched by this tragedy in our thoughts and in our prayers.”

Local officials say the death toll could rise in Samoa as more information arrives from remote villages. FSRN spoke with Dr. Jeff Masters from Weather Underground. His website tracks storms and natural disasters around the world.