The Federal Foreign Office has made available 1 million euro to provide emergency aid for the victims of the major earthquake in Indonesia. These funds will be given to local aid organizations as quickly as possible to ensure that needy people are supplied with initial emergency shelters, food and water, as well as basic medical care.

An expert from the German Federal Agency for Technical Relief (THW) is already on his way to the earthquake zone. In coordination with the Federal Ministry of the Interior, a THW crisis team will be put together and sent to Sumatra to provide technical assistance in rescuing and caring for earthquake victims.

The earthquake, measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale, struck on Wednesday evening off the west coast of the Indonesian island of Sumatra. To date at least 467 people have died in the earthquake, but that number is likely to increase.