Posted BY: Wyatt | NwoReport
An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds, regional governor Ridwan Kamil has said.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), according to US Geological Survey data.
Scores of people were taken to the hospital, with many treated outside.
Rescuers were working into the night to try to save others thought to still be trapped under collapsed buildings.
The area where the quake struck is densely populated and prone to landslides, with poorly built houses reduced to rubble in many areas.
There are conflicting reports as to the exact number of deaths, and it is difficult to get a definitive figure as the search and rescue effort continues.
Earlier, Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) said at least 62 people had died, according to the latest available data.
Speaking to local media, Mr. Kamil said more than 13,000 people had been displaced by the disaster. The West Java governor said earlier that more than 700 people had been injured, and the BNPB said over 2,200 homes have been damaged.
Mr. Kamil said the numbers of injuries and fatalities were likely to increase because there were “a lot of people” still trapped at the scene.
