BackEarthquake today: 56 killed, 300 injured in Indonesia quake
Nearly 56 people were killed and at least 300 injured in an earthquake that rattled Indonesia's main island of Java
PremiumAt least 56 people were killed and 300 injured after an earthquake of 5.6 magnitude struck Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday. The epicentre was located near the West Java town of Cianjur. Buildings have reportedly damaged after a shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake jolted Indonesia's Java island. The earthquake rattled high-rises as far away as capital Jakarta.
"The information I got for now, in this hospital alone…at least 300 people are being treated. Most of them had fractures from being trapped by the ruins of buildings," the head of Cianjur's administration, Herman Suherman, told broadcaster Metro TV.
Some TV broadcasters showed several buildings in Cianjur with their roofs collapsed. The country's meteorological agency warned residents near the quake to watch out for more tremors as a 5.6 magnitude quake hit the country, killing at least 56. The casualty is expected to rise.
"We call on people to stay outside the buildings for now as there might be potential aftershocks," the head of Indonesia's meteorological agency, Dwikorita Karnawati, told reporters.
EYEWITNESS ACCOUNTS: ‘IT BECAME STRONGER’
Mayadita Waluyo, a 22-year-old lawyer, recounted how panicked workers in her building in Jakarta ran towards the exits as the earthquake hit the country. "I was working when the floor under me was shaking. I could feel the tremor clearly. I tried to do nothing to process what it was but it became even stronger and lasted for some time," she said.
“I feel a bit dizzy now and my legs are also a bit cramped because I had to walk downstairs from the 14th floor," she said.
After the earthquake, hundreds waited outdoors including some in hard hats to protect from falling debris.
INDONESIA: THE BOILING POT OF EARTHQUAKES
One may wonder why Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes? Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity due to its position on the Pacific "Ring of Fire", where tectonic plates collide.
In January 2021, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake in Sulawesi island killed more than 100 people and left thousands homeless.
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