CIANJUR: A day after an earthquake ravaged a West Java town, killing at least 162 people and injured hundreds, Indonesian rescue workers were rushing to reach residents still trapped in the wreckage as officials feared the death toll may climb.
In a mountainous area of the most populous province of Indonesia, the shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake’s epicentre was found on land close to Cianjur. Buildings crumbled as a result of the tremor on Monday afternoon, sending terrified inhabitants running onto the streets.
According to a statement from Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia’s meteorological and geophysics department, many of the fatalities were brought on by fallen structures. Overnight, wounded flooded a hospital in Cianjur’s parking lot where some were handled in makeshift tents and others were linked up to intravenous drips on the ground while medical staff stitched up patients under the light of torches.
From the busy hospital parking lot, Cucu, a 48-year-old local, told that “everything fell beneath me and I was crushed beneath this child.””I found two of my kids who had survived. I brought two more here, but one is still missing “She added while crying.
Dedi Prasetyo, a national police spokesperson, said the official news agency on Tuesday morning that hundreds of police personnel had been sent to help with rescue attempts. The key objective for the staff today is to concentrate on evacuating victims, he said.
West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil reported that the earthquake on Monday left at least 162 dead, many of them children, and more than 300 injured. He also issued a warning that some inhabitants might still be stuck in remote areas.
