Aftershocks rattle survivors in Indonesia; death toll reaches over 5,100

Hundreds of aftershocks are hampering rescue workers as they search forsurvivors amid therubble onthe Indonesian island of Java,aftera 6.3-magnitude earthquake killed thousands of people on Saturday.

As recovery efforts inched alongon Sunday in the ancient city of Yogyakarta and other equally ravagedcommunities nearby, the Indonesian government announced a state of emergency for three months.

The quake killed more than 5,135 people, according to the Yogyakarta governor's office.The toll reached 3,463 in Yogyakarta province and 1,672 in Central Java province, with many people critically injured. Independent sources put the number of injured at 20,000 with more than 200,000 homeless.

About 450 aftershocks have rattled the area since Saturday.

On Sunday,injured people were still continuing to pack intohospitals that had already beenoverwhelmed by patients.

Many survivors who lost their homesspent the night with little or no shelter, amid heavy rains.

Most of the dead were buried in village graveyards within hours of the disaster, in line with Islamic tradition.

35,000 buildings destroyed

The quake hit hundreds of square kilometres of mostly farming communities in Yogyakarta province, causing damage to the world-famous ninth-century Prambanan temple.

Some 35,000 buildings around the city of Yogyakarta were reduced to rubble.

But the worst devastation was in the nearby town of Bantul, which accounted for three-quarters of the deaths.

Power and phone service in the area remained out amid fears that a nearby rumbling volcano might erupt. The earthquake set off increased activity atMount Merapi, which shot hot gas clouds and volcanic rocks down its slopes.

Canada's Foreign Affairs Department confirmed Sunday morning that it has tracked down the 19 Canadians who were reported to be in the region. All were said to besafe.

Canadian aid on the way

Ottawa pledged $2 million in emergency aid, as federal Foreign Affairs Minister Peter MacKay offered his sympathy.

"On behalf of all Canadians, I wish to extend our sympathies to the families and friends of those who lost their lives and to those communities hit by this dreadful act of nature," MacKay said in a statement.

"I also want to reassure Canadians that my department and the embassy of Canada in Jakarta are in contact with local authorities to determine if any Canadian citizens have been affected."

In Zurich, the International Red Cross launched an emergency appeal for $10 million US.In the United States, a Pentagon spokeswoman said the U.S. Defence Department was ready to help.

Britain said it had donated$6.2 millon Cdnto the United Nations and its agencies to meet the immediate needs of those hit by the quake.

The European Union pledged up tothree million euros ($4.2 million Cdn) in emergency aid to help the victims, while Australia will send three million Australian dollars ($3.3 million Cdn) in aid.