Experts say there is no risk of a tsunami. Source: USGS.
At least 162 people have died with hundreds more injured after a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian island of Java.
The United States Geological Survey (USG) reports the earthquake hit 18km west of Ciranjang-hilir, Java at a shallow depth of 10km yesterday afternoon.
West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said that majority of the 162 people who died were children who were attending school and that over 13,000 people have been displaced by the disaster.
“There are still many residents trapped at the incident sites, we assume that the injured and dead victims will continue to increase over time,” he said of the death toll.
Local authorities can’t be sure of the exact number of injuries as yet however their valuations are anywhere from 300-700 people.
As a result of the earthquake, several landslides have happened in the area which have seen roads blocked off, however emergency services are working to clear the debris.
It’s been estimated that over 2,500 homes have been damaged with many residents forced to flee their homes during the earthquake after buildings and structures began to collapse.
The National Agency for Disaster Management (BPNB) says that 52 houses had collapsed along with four school while a hospital and mosque were badly damaged.
Indonesia earthquake kills at least 162 people and injures hundreds https://t.co/tFszApcOnQ pic.twitter.com/uwSU7GT8OE
— BBC News (World) (@BBCWorld) November 21, 2022
Dewi Risma, a shopkeeper in the Cianjur district told AP that the tremors were very powerful.
“The vehicles on the road stopped because the quake was very strong,” she said.
“I felt it shook three times, but the first one was the strongest one for around 10 seconds. The roof of the shop next to the store I work in had collapsed, and people said two had been hit.”
Australian Foreign Minister Penny Wong offered her condolences to the Javan people saying that Australia’s “thoughts are with them”.
Indonesia is particularly vulnerable to earthquakes as it sits along the ‘Ring of Fire’ which sees 90 per cent of the world’s earthquakes and 75 per cent of earth’s volcanic activity.
This year alone, Indonesia has seen four earthquakes with fatalities, injuries and structural damage.
One of the biggest earthquakes in recorded history hit off the Indonesian coast at a magnitude of 9.3, which as a result caused the 2004 Indian Ocean Boxing Day tsunami that saw over 230,000 people killed.
