Appeal for tsunami victims Welsh tourists in quake horror

David Stephens, from the British Red Cross, said he thought there would be "scenes of complete destruction".

Mr Stephens, from Bangor, and Jamie Richardson, from Powys, are part of a team coordinating aid work.

Meanwhile, Sri Lankans in Wales are launching their own appeal to help those affected by the disaster.

Many thousands of people in countries around the rim of the Indian Ocean have been killed by tsunami triggered by Sunday's powerful earthquake.

Mr Stephens, 62, was also part of the Emergency Response Unit (ERU) which went to last year's devastating earthquake in Bam in Iran.

The massive scale of the disaster and the destruction it has caused is formidable Jamie Richardson

"I couldn't believe that another earthquake disaster had happened exactly a year to the day," he said.

"I'm expecting scenes of complete destruction to greet us on arrival in Sri Lanka.

"In addition to being sent to Bam, I was also in the Caribbean following the hurricane there, but I have never seen the after effects of a tsunami and I am expecting the worst."

The two men will help organise the arrival of Red Cross relief goods being sent to the island and help to distribute them efficiently.

Their flight will contain vehicles, generators and tents to make sure the team is self-sufficient in situations where resources are limited.

Mr Richardson, 41, said he was sure the trip would be one of his most challenging missions.

Daisy Lowe is travelling to Sri Lanka to assess the situation

"The massive scale of the disaster and the destruction it has caused is formidable," he said.

Sri Lanka is one of the worst-hit regions, and another person heading out to assess the situation there is Daisy Lowe, from the Sri Lankan Association of South Wales, which has launched its own appeal.

"I would like to investigate what is happening there and what the needs are, so that any relief efforts can be targeted at the right people," said Ms Lowe.

"As Sri Lankans living in Wales, we feel we would like to do our little bit."

'Terrible catastrophe'

Alison Bridges, from Llandegfan on Anglesey, is helping with the relief effort after being caught up in the disaster while on a trip to Sri Lanka.

She managed to call her father Michael to tell him she had survived.

He said: "I answered it, and there was this voice - 'Dad, there has been a terrible catastrophe, there has been a tidal wave, there is massive destruction and loss of life'".

An emergency telephone number - 020 7008 0000 - has been set up for those concerned about relatives.