Over 1112 people have died in the recent earth quake in Sumatra, Indonesia.
Telecommunications are difficult in the region, roads are cut off, and the hardest-hit area, including Padang, lacks power and other services, Holmes said. In addition, heavy rainfall has hindered search and rescue efforts.
A 7.6-magnitude quake struck Sumatra on Wednesday, with a 6.6-magnitude earthquake hitting Thursday morning in the same region.
Some have suggested the damage may be worse than that of a 6.3-magnitude quake centered in the central Java city of Yogyakarta in May 2006, Holmes said. That temblor killed more than 5,000 people and triggered fears of an eruption from a nearby volcano.
Many people wandered the streets of Padang stunned and dazed. Some searched the rubble for survivors.
Wednesday's quake reduced buildings to rubble in the city. People used hammers, chisels and even bare hands to dig through debris for survivors and belongings. Staff at a local hospital treated the injured outside the semi-collapsed building as bodies of the dead lay in makeshift morgues.
Several of the hospital's buildings were severely damaged. Damage in the town itself was spotty; some buildings remained intact near others in ruins.
"Aftershocks can be just as devastating as the initial quake," said Adjie Fachrurrazi, emergency response coordinator in Indonesia for the CARE aid organization, in a statement. "After an earthquake of this size, we know the immediate needs are going to be getting safe water, food and emergency supplies to the survivors. The question now is: How bad is it? We're hoping for the best, but the information so far is not looking good."
Amelia Merrick, the operations director for World Vision Indonesia, described the situation as "quite devastating."
"Bridges have gone down, phone lines are in total disrepair," she said. "It's difficult for us to assess the situation."
Earlier this month, an earthquake in West Java killed 57 people.
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