Jakarta: At least 56 died and over 700 injured after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s West Java province on Monday.
The afternoon quake was centred in the Cianjur region of West Java, according to the United States Geological Survey, and was felt as far away as the capital Jakarta.
At least 56 people were killed in an earthquake that rattled Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday, the governor of the worst-hit province said, as reported by AFP.
“Data from the district head team — 56 people died and more than 700 injured. Because there are still a lot of people trapped on the scene, we assume injuries and fatalities will increase over time,” West Java governor Ridwan Kamil told a news conference broadcast by Kompas TV.
Videos on social media showed some buildings reduced almost entirely to rubble and debris strewn on streets.
The area where the quake struck is densely populated and prone to landslides, with poorly-built houses. Rescuers have been trying to evacuate people from collapsed buildings, and managed to save a woman and her baby, according to local reports.
According to the country’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) local officials, four schools and 52 houses collapsed or were badly damaged in the Cianjur region. A mosque and a hospital were also damaged
The BNPB said there is no risk of a tsunami.
Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the “ring of fire” area of tectonic activity in the Pacific.
