Nov. 21 (UPI) — More than 160 people died, and hundreds were hurt in a shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake on the main Indonesian island of Java on Monday, which collapsed buildings and trapped people.
The epicenter of the earthquake was 11 miles west-southwest of Ciranjang-hilir, Indonesia at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the U.S. Geological Survey.
Java officials increased the death toll from 56 to 162 late Monday, adding that 326 people suffered injuries, according to regional governor Ridwan Kamil.
He said many of the injuries involved “sustained fractures from being crushed in ruins.” Kamil added that more than 13,000 people had been displaced by the earthquake with more than 2,200 homes damaged.
Herman Suherman, the head of administration in Cianjur, confirmed the earlier death toll, warning that the total would increase because “a lot of people” remained trapped with others blocked by a landslide.
Social media posts showed numerous collapsed buildings and rubble blocking streets. Emergency workers rescued at least one woman and a young child from a damaged building.
“We are continuing to update figures and the number of victims is expected to rise,” Indonesia’s Disaster Management Agency, or the BNPB, said.
The tremor could also be felt in the West Java regions including Sukabumi, Bogor and Bandung, and in the capital Jakarta about 60 miles north.
Ridwan Kamil, governor of West Java province, said aftershocks are posing a challenge as emergency crews continue their efforts to find people trapped and recover others who have died.
“We need to remain vigilant,” Kamil said. “This is disaster season at the end of the year which is frightening.”
Indonesia lies in the so-called “Pacific Ring of Fire” seismic zone and frequently experiences earthquakes, which can cause significant casualties and tsunamis.
In 2018, more than 2,000 died in a 7.5-magnitude earthquake and tsunami on the central Indonesian island of Sulawesi. Another earthquake in 2009 struck southern Sumatra, killing 1,117.
