The death toll from a massive earthquake that shook Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday has risen to 162, with hundreds more injured.
Amid a series of tremors, rescuers are looking for people buried beneath the rubble. The 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck in Cianjur in hilly West Java, some 75 kilometres (45 miles) southeast of Jakarta. Over 2.5 million people live in the region.
The shocks wrecked several structures and were felt at a depth of 10 kilometres near Cianjur, West Java. Hundreds of structures, including an Islamic boarding school, a hospital, and other public services, were devastated.
The death toll is anticipated to grow further, although no numbers are available at this time. According to media reports, majority of Cianjur’s people live in single and two-story buildings, as well as smaller residences in the surrounding countryside.
“Many of those killed were public school students who had finished their courses for the day and were taking extra lessons at various Islamic schools when they collapsed”, stated West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil, who reported the fresh death toll in remote province.
According to Kamil, more than 13,000 people were evacuated from severely damaged homes.
