Indonesian quake death toll soars
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JAKARTA (Kyodo, AP) — The death toll from the May 27 earthquake on Indonesia's Java Island stood at 6,234 as of May 31.
As the death toll climbed, a 1-year-old boy was found alive under the debris of his parents' house.
Rizki Pujihardianto was in his mother's arms when the earthquake struck the village of Kaligondong in the Bantul Regency. He fell from his mother's arms and his parents lost hope in finding him alive.
Rizki who was seriously injured is now being treated and his condition has improved.
As many as 30,000 people were injured and more than 200,000 have been displaced as a result of the severe earthquake in Yogyakarta and Central Java.
According to UNICEF, children are especially at risk in the disaster's aftermath. "They cannot look after themselves, so if they are separated from their parents or their family, they are tremendously vulnerable," one official said.
Compounding the devastation were fears of an eruption of nearby Mount Merapi, which has been belching gas and lava for weeks, and a scientist said its volcanic activity had increased threefold since the quake.
The quake was the fourth destructive temblor to hit Indonesia in the past 17 months, including the one that caused the Dec. 26, 2004, Indian Ocean tsunami that left at least 216,000 dead or missing
The country is also battling a bird flu crisis and a series of terror attacks by al-Qaida-linked Islamic militants.
地震による死者6,234人に
インドネシアのジャワ島で5月27日に発生した大地震で、31日時点での死者が6,234人にのぼった。
Shukan ST: June 9, 2006
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