Powerful earthquake rocks Java, kills at least 443
YOGYAKARTA (AP) - A powerful earthquake flattened buildings in central Indonesia early Saturday, killing at least 443 people, injuring hundreds and leaving overwhelmed doctors begging for help, officials said.
The 6.2-magnitude quake also triggered heightened activity in Central Java province's deadly Mount Merapi volcano, which has been spewing out clouds of hot ash, gas and lava for several weeks, a scientist said.
The quake struck at 5:54 a.m. (2354 GMT), 25 kilometers (15 miles) southwest of the city of Yogyakarta, home to the famed Borobudur temple complex, causing damage in at least three nearby towns, officials said.
President Susilo Bambang
Yudhoyono ordered the army to help evacuate victims, as panicked residents ran into the smoldering streets, some clutching young children or the bodies of the wounded.
Eight hours after the quake struck, at least 443 bodies were lying in nine hospitals in the region, and more injured and dead people were still arriving, according to the Indonesian Red Cross and hospital officials.
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