The death toll from Monday's tsunami in Java has risen to more than 500, a sharp increase over yesterday's tally.
The death toll from the tsunami that hit Java earlier this week rose by almost 200 today to 531, with more than 270 people still missing.
There were also reports today of a new earthquake, with a preliminary magnitude of 6.1, which caused buildings to sway in the Indonesian capital, Jakarta.
There were no immediate reports of casualties following today's quake, which officials said was centred 118 miles south-west of Jakarta.
Officials said the death toll from Monday's tsunami, which was caused by a 7.7-magnitude quake, was rising as police and army teams encountered more and more bodies as they worked in the disaster area on Java. Teams were working in the wreckage with sniffer dogs and mechanical equipment.
The rising death toll was fuelling questions about the failures of officials in Jakarta to issue a tsunami warning. Officials received data about Monday's around 20 minutes before the first wave struck Java but failed to issue a tsunami warning.
I linked to my friend and fellow blogger Agam, who lives in Thailand yesterday. He reported on the shameful performance of the Indonesian government that still does not have a local Tsunami warning system in place.
