At least 56 people have been killed and nearly 700 injured after a strong earthquake struck western Java in Indonesia on Monday.
Ridwan Kamil, West Java Governor confirmed 56 deaths. Epicentre of the earthquake was town of Cianjur, which is 75 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta. There was no danger of a tsunami. The magnitude of the earthquake was 5.6 Richter scale.
The national disaster agency (BNPB), whose data lagged behind local officials on the ground on Monday, told a news conference up to 700 people had been injured and more than 300 homes damaged or destroyed.
Reuters news agency said that the quake was so strong that people rushed out of apartments, and offices.
Geophysics agency BMKG chief Dwikorita Karnawati told reporters at the parliamentary building to stay outdoors in case of aftershocks.
According to officials, the quake caused a minor landslide Cianjur. While two trapped people were rescued, a third one couldn’t survive.
“We managed to evacuate a woman and a baby alive, but the other one passed away. That’s the only thing I can share for now,” Cianjur police chief Doni Hermawan told broadcaster Metro TV, AFP reported.
Another official at the BMKG, Suko Prayitno Adi, said the authorities were checking the extent of the damage caused by the quake.
The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale.
(With inputs from agencies)
