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Sunday, May 28, 2006

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3,500 killed in Indonesian quake

Epicentre near Yogyakarta; temblor may trigger eruption of Mount Merapi

BANTUL (Indonesia): A powerful earthquake flattened homes and hotels in central Indonesia early on Saturday as people slept, killing more than 3,500 and injuring thousands more in the nation's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami.

The magnitude-6.2 quake struck at 5.54 a.m. local time near the ancient city of Yogyakarta, 400 km east of the capital, Jakarta.

It was centred about 10 km below the surface, the U.S. Geological Survey said.

Activity picked up at nearby Mount Merapi, one of the world's most active volcanoes; one geologist warned that the temblor could still spark a large eruption, though another downplayed those concerns.

The strong quake knocked down houses, hotels, a hospital and government buildings, sending people running onto the streets.

Many roads and bridges were destroyed, hindering efforts to get taxis and pickup trucks filled with the wounded to packed hospitals.

Bantul worst-hit

In the hardest-hit district of Bantul, rescuers tried to pull bodies from the rubble as residents started digging mass graves, rows of corpses awaiting burial under the blazing sun.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the army to help evacuate victims and arrived in the densely populated Central Java province in the afternoon with a team of Cabinet Ministers to oversee rescue operations.

Sixteen hours after the quake struck, the number of dead stood at 3,505, Social Affairs Ministry official Sopar Jaya said, adding that two-thirds of the fatalities occurred in Bantul.

``The numbers just keep rising,'' said Arifin Muhadi of the Indonesian Red Cross, adding that more than 3,400 people were injured.

Japan and Malaysia said they would send medical teams, and the United States and the European Commission also offered emergency aid. The U.N. World Food Program and UNICEF offered humanitarian assistance and tents to shelter those left homeless.

Activity near volcano

The quake hit close to the rumbling Mount Merapi, and soon after the temblor a large burst of hot clouds and debris avalanched 3.5 km down its western flank. No one was injured.

Bambang Dwiyanto, the Energy and Mineral Ministry's chief geologist, said the two events did not appear to be directly related, but warned that the earthquake could still trigger a larger eruption. ``It will influence the activities of Mount Merapi, particularly in the lava dome,'' he cautioned.

A geological researcher at the Indonesian Science Institute said, however, he did not think the quake was powerful enough to create a large eruption.

``It has increased pressure of lava and raised activities, but I don't think it will have a significant impact,'' said Dani Hilman.

The quake cut electricity and phone lines in some areas.

Runway cracked

It also cracked the runway at the airport in Yogyakarta, home to the famed Borobudur temple, closing it to aircraft until at least Sunday while inspections take place.

Officials said the 7th century Buddhist shrine, one of Indonesia's most popular tourist attractions, was not affected in the quake. Nearby Prambanan, a spectacular Hindu temple to the southeast, suffered some damage but it was not immediately clear how much. — AP

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