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Indonesia quake death toll rises

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JAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- The death toll from the strong earthquake and aftershock that struck Sumatra climbed to 73 on Thursday, according to disaster officials there.

Another 194 people were injured, according to the Disaster Coordinating Center in west Sumatra.

Indonesian television showed widespread damage to buildings on the western Indonesian island Tuesday, including a hospital that had to be evacuated.

Government forces were deployed, and a spokesman for President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono said they were "preparing for the worst."

The U.S. Geological Survey reported a magnitude 6.3 earthquake about 30 miles north-northeast of Padang at 10:50 a.m. Tuesday (10:50 p.m. ET Monday), followed by a 6.1 temblor two hours later within miles of the first quake's epicenter.

The quakes sent frightened people running from their homes, said Deputy Governor Syamsudin in the city of Solok. Three members of one family were burned alive when their collapsed home burst into flames, The Associated Press quoted police spokesman Supriadi as saying. (More on aftermath)

In December 2004, a massive earthquake struck off Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed more than 230,000 people, including 131,000 people in Indonesia's Aceh province, alone.

An earthquake and resulting tsunami killed more than 500 on Java last July. (List of recent disasters)

Indonesia is the world's largest archipelago and is prone to seismic upheaval due to its location on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," an arc of volcanoes and fault lines encircling the Pacific Basin.

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