A resident searches for his possessions in the debris of his house which was destroyed by an earthquake in Bantul, Yogyakarta, central Java, Indonesia, Saturday, May 27, 2006 A powerful earthquake flattened buildings in central Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 2,900 people and injuring thousands more in the country's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami.(AP Photo/Kampala)
Mount Merapi, seen from a village near Yogyakarta yesterday, spews ash. Today's quake heightened activity at the deadly volcano. Photo: APMagnitude-6.3 earthquake rocks Indonesia
By MarketWatch
Last Update: 10:52 AM ET May 27, 2006
LOS ANGELES (MarketWatch) -- An earthquake measuring 6.3 on the Richter scale shook central Indonesia early Saturday, flattening homes and hotels and killing more 2,700, according to a report from the Associated Press.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck near the ancient city of Yogyakarta at 5:53 a.m. local time, in Java Indonesia, 275 miles east, south-east of Jakarta. The quake was six miles below the surface line, the government agency said.
The quake's epicenter neared the already rumbling Mount Merapi volcano, and officials said activity picked up after the quake struck, with hot clouds and debris cascading down its western side, the AP reported.
Officials are now watching the volcano closely, and are concerned that a larger eruption could happen in the wake of the earthquake.
Indonesia is prone to seismic activity owing to its location on what's referred to as the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a line of volcanoes and fault lines that circle the Pacific Basin.
As the quake flattened houses, hotels and other buildings, panicked locals were sent running into the streets. Roads and bridges were also destroyed, which hampered rescue efforts and attempts to get the injured to hospitals.
The Indonesian army, ordered in by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reached Central Java province Saturday afternoon along with a team of Cabinet ministers to help oversee rescue operations.
The AP reported that 14 hours after the quake, the number of dead was up to 2,914, according to Social Affairs Ministry official Sopar Jaya. Two-thirds of the total number of deaths occurred in the hardest-hit district of Bantul.
False rumors of an impending tsunami, as Yogyakarta is about 18 miles from the sea, also sent thousands of people fleeing to higher ground. The city is located 1,390 miles southeast of Aceh province, where 131,000 people died in a tsunami that struck in December 2004. It was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake under the sea.
The situation was being described as dire, with medical officials struggling to care for hundreds of injured and medical centers overwhelmed.
Japan said it would send a seven-person medical team, relief goods and financial aid, while Malaysia said it would send a 56-member search team along with doctors and medical supplies. The European Commission said it would offer up $3.8 million in emergency aid, the AP reported.
The city is also the location of the 9th century Borobudur Buddhist temple, considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
The U.S. Geological Survey said the quake struck near the ancient city of Yogyakarta at 5:53 a.m. local time, in Java Indonesia, 275 miles east, south-east of Jakarta. The quake was six miles below the surface line, the government agency said.
The quake's epicenter neared the already rumbling Mount Merapi volcano, and officials said activity picked up after the quake struck, with hot clouds and debris cascading down its western side, the AP reported.
Officials are now watching the volcano closely, and are concerned that a larger eruption could happen in the wake of the earthquake.
Indonesia is prone to seismic activity owing to its location on what's referred to as the Pacific "Ring of Fire," a line of volcanoes and fault lines that circle the Pacific Basin.
As the quake flattened houses, hotels and other buildings, panicked locals were sent running into the streets. Roads and bridges were also destroyed, which hampered rescue efforts and attempts to get the injured to hospitals.
The Indonesian army, ordered in by President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono reached Central Java province Saturday afternoon along with a team of Cabinet ministers to help oversee rescue operations.
The AP reported that 14 hours after the quake, the number of dead was up to 2,914, according to Social Affairs Ministry official Sopar Jaya. Two-thirds of the total number of deaths occurred in the hardest-hit district of Bantul.
False rumors of an impending tsunami, as Yogyakarta is about 18 miles from the sea, also sent thousands of people fleeing to higher ground. The city is located 1,390 miles southeast of Aceh province, where 131,000 people died in a tsunami that struck in December 2004. It was triggered by a 9.1 magnitude earthquake under the sea.
The situation was being described as dire, with medical officials struggling to care for hundreds of injured and medical centers overwhelmed.
Japan said it would send a seven-person medical team, relief goods and financial aid, while Malaysia said it would send a 56-member search team along with doctors and medical supplies. The European Commission said it would offer up $3.8 million in emergency aid, the AP reported.
The city is also the location of the 9th century Borobudur Buddhist temple, considered one of the seven wonders of the world.
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