Days after an earthquake destroyed thousands of buildings in  western Indonesia, survivors are still calling out from under the rubble according to rescuers.

Here at the Ambacang Hotel in Padang city in Sumatra dozens died when it collapsed.

 But rescuers are still looking for survivors.

Hopeful news of signs of life came to them in a chilling text.

[Arka Melvi, Excavation Officer]:
"I received an SMS at about 3 o'clock yesterday. There are eight people trapped inside. They said, 'Please don't make the heavy equipment go further, it will crush us.' "

Rescuers are now believed to be building a tunnel towards them.

Thousands more people are thought to be trapped under buildings in the disaster zone caused when an earthquake of 7.6 magnitude hit Sumatra and the surrounding area.

A huge aid effort involving 14 countries is gaining momentum to attempt to help  survivors.

But three days after the disaster struck rescuers were only starting to reach some stricken communities.
   
Fresh aid supplies were due to arrive at Jakarta's main airport for transfer to the disaster area, 915 km  northwest of the capital.

Padang, the capital of West Sumatra, has been struggling with a shortage of
clean water and fuel.
  
The United Nations said more than 1,000 had been killed in and around Padang, a city of 900,000 that sits on top of one of the world's most active seismic fault lines along the Pacific "Ring of Fire."