Natural disasters of the Asia Pacific Region: 2006 Yogyakarta Bantul Earthquake

The tremor, which measured 6.2 on the Richter scale, happened at 5.54am (23.54BST) around 15 miles south of the city of Yogyakarta. In less than a minute, the roofs of homes caved in, many on top of sleeping inhabitants, and hotels and government buildings collapsed.

Although Indonesia experiences very large, great, and giant thrust earthquakes offshore at the Sunda Trench, this was a large strike-slip event that occurred on the southern coast of Java near the city of Yogyakarta.

Communities devastated by the earthquake that struck near Yogyakarta a year ago have been empowered to take the lead in their own recovery, thanks to the support of the British Red Cross working with the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC). (2007)

June 16, 2006
Emergency relief plans for the Indonesian earthquake are hamstrung because of lack of funds from donors and the international community, six non-government organisations working on relief efforts said today.

The Bantul Earthquake in May 2006 claimed more than 5,700 lives and injured more than 38,000 people. The extensive damage required a Mercy Relief team in Jogjakarta to be diverted to Bantul.

The Christian international aid agency World Vision has rushed to the assistance of thousands of survivors left stranded after the 6.3 magnitude earthquake that ripped through Yogyakarta, Indonesia, Saturday morning.