Friday, 29 Mar, 2024

International

Indonesia: Java quake kills scores and injures hundreds

International Desk | banglanews24.com
Update: 2022-11-22 10:25:56
Indonesia: Java quake kills scores and injures hundreds [Photo Collected]

An earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java has killed scores of people and injured hundreds, say officials.

The 5.6 magnitude quake struck Cianjur town in West Java, at a shallow depth of 10km (6 miles), according to US Geological Survey data.

Scores of people were taken to hospital, with many treated outside.

Rescuers have worked through 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.

The exact number of people killed so far remains unclear. Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has said their official death toll was 62, adding that another figure given by regional governor Ridwan Kamil - 162 - remains unverified.

Speaking to local media, Mr Kamil said some 326 people had been injured in the quake, noting that "most of them sustained fractures from being crushed in ruins".

But he warned some residents remained "trapped in isolated places" and said officials were "under the assumption that the number of injured and deaths will rise with time".

The West Java governor added that more than 13,000 people had been displaced by the disaster, and the BNPB said more than 2,200 homes had been damaged by the quake.

Herman Suherman, the head of administration in Cianjur town, said most injuries were bone fractures sustained from people being trapped by debris in buildings.

"The ambulances keep on coming from the villages to the hospital," he was quoted by AFP news agency as saying earlier in the day. "There are many families in villages that have not been evacuated."

Many of the injured were treated outside in a hospital car park after the hospital was left without power for several hours following the quake, West Java's governor said.

On Monday night, Mr Kamil wrote on Twitter that it could take up to three days for power to be fully restored to the area. He added that mobile phone reception remained poor and was causing "a lot of problems" for officials.

Source BBC

BDST: 1024 HRS, NOV 22, 2022
MSK

All rights reserved. Sale, redistribution or reproduction of information/photos/illustrations/video/audio contents on this website in any form without prior permission from banglanews24.com are strictly prohibited and liable to legal action.