A quite strong earthquake, registering as high as 5.9 in the Richter scale, rocked Yogyakarta and the surrounding small villages in the eastern part of Yogya early Saturday morning at 6 a.m.
The casualties number more than 5000 dead, and around 15.000 buildings are damaged. Our Jesuit school, de Britto College in Yogyakarta, and the Jesuit Parish, St. Antonius Kotabaru, are severely affected. The roofs of some buildings in the school compound have collapsed. The church is still standing, but its broken walls make it unsafe for further services.
Fr. Ageng Marwata, the rector of De Britto College, has to work hard to collect some funds to make the school buildings ready for the next school year, which will begin in July. At present, the school has started a ‘public kitchen’ to help the victims obtain their basic needs of the daily food. Any donations for the victims and for the rebuilding of the school can be addressed to the treasurer of the Indonesian Province.