The Embassy of the Republic of Indonesia in London is coordinating the relief effort in the United Kingdom for the victims of the earthquake in the Indonesian Provinces of West Sumatra and Jambi. Two major earthquakes have caused the loss of hundreds of lives and the number of fatalities can still rise further. The tremors also caused severe damage to property, infrastructure and public facilities in the Indonesian Province of West Sumatra and its capital Padang . The first quake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck on 5.16pm local time on 30 September, followed by an aftershock measuring 5.1 on 10.34am local time on 1 October. The Province of Jambi was subsequently hit by another quake inland measuring 7 on the Richter scale on 08.52am local time on 1 October, also causing serious damage to property and public infrastructure.

The Embassy is in continuous contact with the authorities in Indonesia as well as the Foreign & Commonwealth Office (FCO) and the Department for International Development (DFID). It monitors the situation in those two provinces and what assistance the UK could offer in the ongoing search and rescue operations that race against the clock to save the victims who are still being trapped under rubble and debris.

A specialised Search and Rescue team from Rapid UK has already left London on Thursday night (1 October 2009). They will be followed on Friday night (2 October 2009) by teams from SARAid and the International Rescue Corps. The same night a 66 strong team of rescue workers from DFID accompanied by two special trained dogs will leave together with members of various non government organisations and a few journalists on a special RAF plane that will fly directly to Padang and is due to arrive on Saturday (3 October).

The President of the Republic of Indonesia Yudhoyono Bambang Susilo has taken personal charge of the rescue efforts.  A team of six ministers is already deployed in Padang to coordinate relief efforts on the ground. The Indonesian Government has approved U$26million (about £20million) worth of relief aid to the victims for the first two months of relief operations in the Padang area.

The Indonesian Ambassador Yuri Thamrin wishes to express his sincere appreciation to the UK Government for its generous and quick response and NGOs for making their services and staff available at short notice, as well as the numerous offers of sympathy and help from the Indonesian community in the UK, the British public and the sympathetic coverage in the British media.

Members of the Indonesian community in the UK and British citizens and residents who are concerned about the safety of their relatives should contact the following numbers of the Department of Health: 0062 21 52907416/419; or the Department of Foreign Affairs in Jakarta: 0062 21 3456416 or 0062 21 3441508.