Residents camp outside in Sumani after an earthquake rocked Sumatra province March 7, 2007. The strong earthquake and a powerful aftershock hit Indonesia's Sumatra island on Tuesday, killing about 70 people and forcing hundreds to camp out in tents or open fields after their homes were flattened.

Scores of victims of deadly earthquakes in Indonesia were buried in West Sumatra on Wednesday, as aid flowed in for thousands displaced after their homes were flattened.

The disaster management agency said 72 people were killed by Tuesday's two quakes, which were also felt in neighbouring Singapore and Malaysia, and many more were injured and thousands spent a night in the open, frightened of further tremors.

The cabinet secretary, Sudi Silalahi, said 52 people had died in West Sumatra province, where the 6.4 magnitude quake and another measuring 6.3 were centred.

Many complained about the slow pace of aid while others said they were too frightened to return to their homes.

"I need to rebuild my house. It was totally destroyed. I have not heard from the government if they will help," said Jon Asril, a 40-year-old farmer, as his mother's body covered in a white cloth was lowered into a grave.

Syamsu Rahim, the mayor of Solok, said the government was sending instant noodles, rice, blankets and drinking water for victims, adding that the earthquake had left about 2,000 people homeless in the worst-hit town.

"The main problem now is food supply. The government has not sent any food. We have to make do with whatever we have," Rajudin Suwar, a 64-year-old pensioner who was one of 30 people crammed into a makeshift tent in Solok.

"The government has told us we cannot go back to our homes because of the fear of aftershocks."

Dozens of injured people, most of them with head injuries, were being treated in makeshift medical centres.

Rescue officials used heavy equipment to clear away the debris and government officials said there were probably no more people buried under rubble.

Rescuers amputated the arm of a man who lay crying and trapped under rubble for hours, but he later bled to death.

"We are still helping the victims today and are continuing field operations to work on the ruins of houses," said Rahim, Solok's mayor, adding the quake was the worst in 80 years in the area and had damaged about 30 schools and several government buildings.

"We are still telling people to continue to be alert and not believe every rumour ... so that they can start getting back to normal activities."

The Red Cross and United Nations sent teams to help.
Earthquakes are frequent in Indonesia, the world's fourth-most-populous country. Its 17,000 islands sprawl along a belt of intense volcanic and seismic activity, part of what is called the "Pacific Ring of Fire".

A quake in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra island in December 2004 and the tsunami it caused left about 170,000 people dead or missing in northern Aceh province.

In March 2005, an 8.7 magnitude quake killed hundreds on Nias island, off the west coast of northern Sumatra. (Additional reporting by John Nedy in Padang; Mita Valina Liem and Johannes Mantiri in Jakarta)