Indonesia Quake Leaves Thousands Dead

Thousands of families fled their homes in panic after the 6.2 magnitude quake struck early in the morning, many running for higher ground amid false rumors of a tsunami like the one that devastated the country in December 2004.

Many could not escape in time and were buried under the rubble of collapsed buildings or struck by flying rocks and debris as the temblor devastated towns and villages cities across the south of the island. One of the worst hit areas was the Bantul district south of Yogyakarta, which was flattened.

"There is only one house remaining standing here, that of the head of the hamlet, but even that is not safe anymore as the walls are cracked," said Ngadiyo, 63, crouching in front of the rubble of his house in central Bantul. "I have never gone through an earthquake this strong during my entire life," said his elder brother, Jodi Riwono, 46, who was trapped unconscious under rubble before being rescued by a grandson.

At least 3,002 people were killed, more than 2,500 people were seriously injured and at least 3,824 houses were destroyed, said an official at the ministry's disaster relief center in Jakarta.

Emergency rescue and medical crews rushed to the worst-hit areas as officials said the death toll may rise. Hospitals overflowed with casualties.

Pictures showed people of all ages with broken arms and legs and bruised faces laid out on tiled floors covered in blood waiting for attention. Bodies were covered with bedsheets.

Disagreement over quake strength

The quake also forced the closure of Adisucipto airport in Yogyakarta, Detikcom news portal said. The airport was badly damaged, with the roof of an airport section collapsing and at least one person trapped, Metro TV reported. Flights have been diverted to the nearby city of Solo.

Meteorologists said the quake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale, but both US and Hong Kong monitors registered it at 6.2. Seismologists said the quake would not increase the likelihood of an eruption at Merapi.

President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono ordered Health Minister Siti Fadillah Supari and Social Affairs Minister Bachtiar Chamsyah to travel to Yogyakarta immediately to oversee rescue efforts.

"The president is deeply concerned," presidential spokesman Andi Malarangeng told a press conference.

Malarangeng said that the president also ordered military chief Air Marshal Djoko Suyanto to send in troops to help evacuate victims. Yudhoyono himself was to visit the region on Sunday, he said.

Yogyakarta province police chief Bambang Hari Sampurnojati told local radio that the earthquake was reportedly followed by tidal waves, striking panic in a nation that was the worst hit by the 2004 Indian ocean tsunami.

"We panicked when we heard that there was a tsunami. We were ready to flee," Yogyakarta resident Clemon Cilik told the state Antara news agency.

UNICEF already geared up

As several aftershocks shook the region, many residents were to afraid to return home, wandering dazed and confused in the streets, many in tears.

More than 20,000 residents living in the shadow of Mount Merapi were already staying in emergency shelters after being evacuated from the slopes following the raising of the top alert signal.

UNICEF spokesman John Budd in Jakarta told CNN that because it had been geared up for relief operations in the event of an eruption it already had response facilities in the area.

"We will be able to provide food, tents, collapsible water tanks and health kits," he said.

A spokesman for the Indonesian Red Cross told the BBC five action teams had been despatched to the area and 21 field hospital units were operating at full capacity.

Britain and France offered aid to Indonesia to help it cope with the aftermath, while German Chacnellor Angely Merkel and Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed their condolences. Russia offered assistance in coping with the consequences of the quake.

Damage to roads, power and telecommunications was hampering the rescue effort, police chief Sampurnojati said. "Electricity is out and communication is difficult," he told ElShinta radio.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific "Ring of Fire," where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.