Indonesia earthquake: death toll rises to more than 160 South Africa’s ex-president unlawfully released from prison

Debris litters the streets, landslides hamper rescue efforts and dozens of injured people wait in the streets in front of hospitals: a magnitude 5.6 earthquake wreaked havoc on the Indonesian main island of Java on Monday afternoon (local time). According to the governor of the region, Ridwan Kamil, at least 162 people were killed on Monday evening. At least 326 people were injured. More than 2,000 homes were severely damaged and thousands of people lost their homes.

The community chief of the hardest-hit city of Cianjur, Herman Suherman, said in the evening that at least 40 of the dead were children hit by debris from the collapsed buildings. He had previously stated that some areas were still inaccessible due to landslides. In addition, many of the injured could not be treated because not enough personnel were available, he said. Live footage from the Metro TV station showed dozens of people waiting in a parking lot outside a Cianjur hospital receiving scant care.

The quake, whose strength was indicated by the US earthquake monitoring station (USGS) as 5.6, occurred locally at noon, about 70 kilometers southeast of the capital Jakarta at a depth of ten kilometers. The epicenter was therefore on land, near the city of Cianjur. This is also where the greatest damage was caused.

They are images of devastation, but the consequences of the earthquake could have been even more serious. Because, as the head of National Disaster Management said, most of the victims were killed by debris from their collapsing homes. However, many people were not at home at the time of the earthquake.

The earthquake was also clearly felt in the metropolis of Jakarta. High-rise buildings swayed, but no major damage was initially reported in the city. There was no tsunami warning.

Indonesia has about 270 million inhabitants, more than half of whom live on the main island of Java. The island nation is located on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on Earth. Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common there. In February, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on the island of Sumatra killed nearly 20 people. More than 400 were injured. (sda/dpa)