Link: http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/asia-pacific/8282670.stm

Thousands of people are trapped under rubble and at least 21 are dead after a strong earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Sumatra, officials say. The epicentre of the 7.9 quake was about 50km (30 miles) off the coast, near the city of Padang. There are reports of widespread destruction to buildings and bridges. 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. Rustam Pakaya, head of the health ministry's crisis centre, told Reuters news agency that a hospital was among the collapsed buildings. Medical teams were on their way to Padang, capital of West Sumatra province, from neighbouring provinces, he said. Local media reported the roof of the city's airport had also collapsed. Witnesses said residents ran out of buildings in Padang - which has a population of 900,000 - and surrounding cities. Reuters: At least 21 people had been killed and "thousands of people are trapped in the rubble of buildings".