Deadly Earthquake in Indonesia

The earthquake in Central Java on Saturday killed more than 4,600 people. Thousands of troops and emergency workers clawed through the rubble with bear hands, trying to find victims of the quake. One neighborhood was totally leveled by the quake and a backhoe was being used to remove the debris, hunting for victims buried there.

Indonesia has asked for foreign aid, and said anyone that could help, they would be grateful for it. Aid workers said that the dwindling supply of food and water, and the lack of housing could pose long-term challenges.

Anton Susanto, a member of the UNICEF assessment team already in the quake zone, said 30 to 40 percent of those injured were children, with many suffering from head wounds and broken bones.

“People are just laid out everywhere,” he said. “People are still very, very traumatised. Frequent aftershocks are still going on.” More than 470 aftershocks shook parts of Java, further terrifying residents who were afraid to return to their homes.

An estimated 50,000 people have been misplaced by the disaster.

And, adding to this, the volcano north of the quake's epicenter is spewing lava, and 20,000 people have been evacuated from their homes. They are on an eruption alert.

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