Indonesia quake: Death toll crosses 4,200

Updated at 2100 HRS: The death toll in the earthquake that struck the central Java island of Indonesia yesterday has risen to over 4,200, according to the latest unofficial reports.

Thousands more are believed to have been injured in the quake, the country's worst disaster since the Tsunami in 2004, that struck densely populated areas of the island and reduced thousands of homes to rubble.

The quake, which registered a magnitude of 6.3 on the Richter scale, struck at 5.54 am local time on Saturday near the ancient city of Yogyakarta as many people slept, causing death and devastation in many nearby towns.

Rescuers searched for survivors, and hospitals overflowed with the injured. The death toll is expected to rise as more bodies are pulled out of the rubble, sources said.

Meanwhile, Indonesia today appealed for humanitarian aid from foreign countries.

According to a statement issued by the Indonesian Foreign Ministry on its website today: "The government has ordered Indonesian embassies to mobilise funds for the earthquake victims.''