The BBC is now giving the death toll from yesterday's earthquake as more than 20,000. There are round-ups by country in The Age and the Independent, and there are photographs in the Guardian. We can all help:
The British Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal in response to the widespread flooding caused by a massive earthquake off the coast of Sumatra. Our logistics team is ready to fly to the region.See also the appeals from Care Australia (and here) and Oxfam; this from Médecins Sans Frontières (donate here); and this from the International Red Cross (donate here).
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The International Red Cross and Red Crescent Movement is at the forefront of the response to this disaster. The British Red Cross appeal will help fund emergency supplies such as tarpaulins, blankets, cooking utensils and water purification tablets. It will also support rehabilitation work in the weeks and months to come.
Update: The BBC website has a thread of emails 'Your experiences of Asian disaster'. From Penang: 'I was washed away by the tidal wave but luckily I was not thrown back into the sea. I was carried into a kind of huge channel where the locals keep their boats...' From Chennai: 'I just return from the beach area and as I write this the whole of the city is still to get over the nightmare with masses of bodies along the Govt hospitals...' From Kuala Lumpur: 'My 3 dogs acted strangely shortly before 9 am local time - trying to lure me out of our house...' From Phuket: 'I felt the earthquake this morning and thought it was someone shaking my bed. Thinking nothing of it I went to the harbour at 10am to catch the ferry from Phuket to Koh Phi Phi, as we [were] about to leave a huge wave came heading for us, the boat was evacuated and luckily all the people on the ferry were driven to higher ground...' From Negombo: 'The main requirement in this area is drinking water, medicine, and shelter. Please help.'