A large earthquake hit the Yogyakarta region of central Java in Indonesia on Saturday, 27th May at 5:54am local time. The earthquake epicentre was shallow at 17 km, and epicentre was located offshore, but no tsunami was generated. Over 5100 people have been killed, and 200,000 people homeless. One of the worst hit areas is the city of Yogyakarta, home to over 400,000 people. Yogyakarta's airport was closed with a damaged runway, and thousands of houses have collapsed. Merapi volcano is currently erupting nearby, and has resulted in the evacuation of many residents. There was an increase in activity at Merapi volcano after the earthquake, with pyroclastic flows descending 4 km down the flank. The earthquake is Indonesia's worst natural disaster since the December 2004 tsunami.
Volcanoes of Indonesia...
About John Seach
- John Seach
- John Seach is a scientist and the world's leading volcano adventurer. Over the past 24 years John has traveled to the world's most exciting volcanoes, and witnessed eruptions during trips to more than 200 volcanoes. John's work has been featured on award winning television programmes. John is the founder of "Volcano Live", the world's first volcano news and volcano travel website.