A devastating earthquake measuring 5.6 on the Richter Scale hit Cianjur town in West Java in Indonesia on Monday which left at least 162 people dead, media reports said.
Regional Governor Ridwan Kamil said 162 people were killed, over 700 injured, and more than 13,000 people displaced by the disaster, the BBC reported.
This earthquake happened to be one of the worst in recent years in a country which which sits on the “ring of fire” area of tectonic activity in the Pacific,.
Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the “ring of fire” area of tectonic activity in the Pacific, with a 2018 quake in Sulawesi leaving over 2,000 dead.
As per US Geological Survey released data on Monday the quake hit at a shallow depth of 10km.
The tremor could be felt in the capital Jakarta about 100km away, where people in high-rise buildings were evacuated, reports BBC.
Officials believe the death toll might rise.
The area where the quake struck is densely populated and prone to landslides, with poorly-built houses. Rescuers have been trying to evacuate people from collapsed buildings, and managed to save a woman and her baby, BBC reported quoting local reports.
The area where the quake struck is densely-populated and prone to landslides, with the makeshift houses reduced to rubble in many areas, the BBC reported.
Regional Governor Ridwan Kamil said 162 people were killed, over 700 injured, and more than 13,000 people displaced by the disaster, the BBC reported.
He apprehended that the numbers of injuries and fatalities were likely to increase because there were “a lot of people” still trapped at the scene.
