The Chinese government decided on Saturday to offer an urgent aid of US$2 million in cash for quake-hit Indonesia.

 

The Chinese government has told the Indonesian government China will offer any necessary aid, sources with the Chinese Foreign Ministry said.

The sources said China will also offer rescue personnel and materials according to the situation of the disaster.

 

A powerful earthquake measuring 5.9 on the Richter scale rocked Indonesia's province of Yogyakarta and several parts of Central Java at 5:55 AM local time on Saturday morning (2255 GMT Friday).

 

Officials with the Indonesian Red Cross put the estimated death toll at 3,500. The quake also left 1,017 people seriously injured and 872 others lightly injured and caused a total of 3,024 houses to collapse.

 

Chinese President Hu Jintao sent on Saturday a message of condolences to his Indonesian counterpart Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono over the heavy casualties and property losses caused by the strong earthquake.

 

 

 

(Xinhua News Agency May 28, 2006)