Thousands Dead in Java Quake

A devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake has killed at least 2,500 people and injured thousands more in central Indonesia.

The earthquake struck at 0554 local time (2253 GMT Friday) near the ancient city of Yogyakarta, destroying homes, roads and bridges and cutting communications with the area. It is the worst disaster to hit the country since the 2004 tsunami.

Hours after the quake struck the number of dead stood at 2,517 according to officials, with two-thirds of the fatalities occurring in the devastated district of Bantul.

Yogyakarta, on Indonesia's main island of Java, is a major tourist centre. It sits close to Mount Merapi, a volcano that has been on alert for a major eruption in recent weeks.

"The numbers just keep rising," said Arifin Muhadi of the Indonesian Red Cross, adding that nearly 2,900 people were hurt.

Doctors struggled to care for the injured, hundreds of whom were lying on plastic sheets, straw mats and even newspapers outside the overcrowded hospitals, some hooked to intravenous drips dangling from trees.

"We need help here," said Kusmarwanto of Bantul Muhammadiyah Hospital, the closest hospital to the quake's epicenter. He said his hospital alone had 39 bodies.

Reuters reported that the area continued to be shaken by aftershocks, and thousands of residents were taking refuge in the city's main square. Thousands of homes, government buildings and hotels had been flattened by the quake, according to eyewitnesses.

International Development Secretary Hilary Benn said he had asked officials to offer British assistance as soon as news of the quake came through.

"We are on stand-by to give any assistance that the government in Indonesia request," he said.

Save the Children's UK's Director of Emergencies, Toby Porter, said the charity had recently carried out an assessment of the situation in Java because of the fears of a volcano eruption, and already had a disaster plan in place.

"The earthquake hit a densely populated area of Java and a number of villages have been affected. We are working as fast as we can to reach the children and families most in need.

"As invariably happens after an earthquake, transport and communication are difficult as electricity and phone lines are down.

"A team of emergency aid workers will be flying out to Indonesia from the UK later today."