Indonesian officials say more than three thousand people have died and thousands more are injured after an earthquake rocked Central Java province.
The 6.2 magnitude quake struck early Saturday near the heavily populated city of Yogyakarta, flattening buildings and caused widespread panic.
Relief organizations and the Indonesian army are on the scene and are helping to evacuate people. The Red Cross has launched an emergency appeal for nearly 10 million dollars to assist survivors of the quake. It says the disaster left some 200,000 people homeless.
The U.S. embassy in Indonesia has announced it is providing 100,000 dollars to help with emergency care. Japan is sending a team of relief workers, and Australia, Malaysia, France, Britain and Russia also have offered assistance.
Indonesian government officials say the death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are recovered.
One local hospital collapsed in the quake and others are filled with injured people. Hundreds more people are standing outside awaiting medical attention. Still other survivors are spending the night outside outside their ruined homes or in emergency shelters.
The earthquake was centered not far from the active volcano Mount Merapi, where residents have evacuated in recent days because of increased volcanic activity. Officials say the quake was not related to the volcano's recent eruptions, but could
spur more activity.
Information for this report is provided by AP, AFP and Reuters.
