Dead toll 4,900 in Java quake

The rising death toll in the Java earthquake has risen to 4,900. Seems like every time I load a BBC web page the number goes up.

Here in Bali, we only hear what you will hear around the world, via the TV news. We have not felt any kind of tremors here. According to the BBC, torrential rains has made life even worse for the survivors of the quake, who are camping out in the open.

Aid is coming from all over the country and Indonesia has asked for $10m in foreign aid. Maybe some of the containers, that are locked up at Tanjung Priok, the port in Jakarta, can be released to help the people in Yogyakarta. Customs officials in Jakarta refuse to release tons of foreign aid meant for the Aceh tsunami relief, until they get paid off. Probably the same will happen here. Let’s hope things get better for the people in Yogya.