A 5.6- magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s Cianjur town in West Java and has taken the lives of 162 people. According to the US Geological Survey (USGS), the earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10km.
West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil confirmed this in a press conference. Alongside the 162 casualties, the earthquake left 326 people injured in the earthquake.
Mr Kamil also stated that the number of casualties will rise. He said that a number of people were still trapped in isolated places and rescue workers are unable to reach some of them.
Head of administration in Cianjur, Herman Suherman, reported that the majority of the town’s residents had suffered bone fractures after falling debris crushed them.
The hospital lost electricity for many hours after the quake. Medical workers had to treat the injured outside in the parking lot, according to the governor of West Java.
The earthquake forced 13,782 people to seek refuge in one of 14 designated refugee camps. Not only that, the earthquake damaged at least 2,345 homes.
As far away as Jakarta, which is 100 km away, felt the quake, prompting the evacuation of high-rise buildings. During the earthquake, people in the downtown civic and commercial sector fled their offices in a panic.
Earthquakes are not new to Indonesia. Furthermore, the country is located on the “ring of fire” which is known for its volcanic activity that sets off earthquakes.
Moreover, the “ring of fire” stretches from Japan and Indonesia all the way to California and South America.