Indonesia Earthquake Kills at Least 2,500
IRWAN FIRDAUS, Associated Press Writer
Saturday, May 27, 2006
(05-27) 02:43 PDT YOGYAKARTA, Indonesia (AP)
A powerful earthquake flattened buildings in central Indonesia early
Saturday, killing at least 2,500 people and injuring thousands more in
the country's worst disaster since the 2004 tsunami.
The magnitude 6.2 quake struck at 5:54 a.m. near the ancient city of
Yogyakarta as many people slept, causing death and damage in many nearby
towns. Roads and bridges were destroyed, hindering efforts to get the
wounded to hospitals. Some phone lines also were cut.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered the army to help evacuate
victims, as panicked residents ran into the smoldering streets, many
clutching young children. He said he would head to the disaster zone in
Central Java province later Saturday.
Nine hours after the quake struck, the number of dead stood at 2,517,
said Direvan, an official in the Social Affairs Ministry's task force
office, with two thirds of the fatalities in the devastated district of
Bantul.
"The numbers just keep rising," said Arifin Muhadi of the Indonesian Red
Cross, adding that nearly 2,900 people were hurt.
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