Saturday, May 27 2006 10:21 Hrs (IST) - World Time -

Yogyakarta (Indonesia): Several people were killed and hundreds injured when a strong earthquake rocked the densely populated southern coast of Indonesia's Central Java today (May 27, 2006) , police and witnesses said.

"We have no figure yet, but yes, there are several people reported killed and hundreds of injured," said Subiyakto, an officer with Yogyakarta province's police.

Meteorologists said the quake measured 5.9 on the Richter scale and hit at 5:53 am (0423 IST), around 37 kilometers south of the city of Yogyakarta. US and Hong Kong monitoring stations put the quake at 6.2.

Temblors were felt in various cities in Central and East Java, including on the northern coast of Central Java and as far as Kediri to the east.

An official on duty at the Panti Rapih general hospital in Yogyakarta said that "Hundreds of people are being admitted and they continue to come."

He said that most had cuts and broken bones and came from areas south of the city such as Bantul and Gunungkidul.

Witnesses told Elshinta radio that several hospitals in Yogyakarta were packed with people seeking treatment for injuries caused by collapsing buildings.

It said that hundreds of houses partially or entirely collapsed in the Bantul and Kulonprogo districts south and southwest of Yogyakarta.

"The report is that the earthquake was on the coastline, also followed by tidal waves," Yogyakarta province police chief Bambang Hari Sampurnojati told the ElShinta radio. He could not give further details on the reported waves.



"The electricity is down for the entire city," Subiyakto said, adding that the telephone network was disrupted in several areas.

Subiyakto said that reports from the city of Yogyakarta itself said that damage was mostly confined to minor structural damage, sliding roof tiles and broken window panes.

"The quake caused panic among the population," he said.

Indonesia sits on the Pacific 'Ring of Fire', where the meeting of continental plates causes high volcanic and seismic activity.