Many people lose lives as earthquake hits Indonesia

Java is the main Indonesian island. The earthquake hit Java. Officials are saying that many people have died. Scores of people got injuries as well. The magnitude of the earthquake was 5.6 on the Richter scale. The epicenter was a town by the name of Cianjur in west Java. The focus of the earthquake was at a depth of 10 km.

Hospitals are under pressure because of the large number of people admitted there. Many people are waiting outside the hospitals for treatments. Some critically injured patients are getting first aid as quickly as possible. Rescuers are also working day and night to save people from underneath the buildings.

The luck was not on Indonesia’s side this time. The epicenter of the earthquake and its surrounding area are very much residential. The area is prone to landslides. The houses are of poor quality. This led to more injuries and deaths due to the earthquake in the area.

The official death toll given by the disaster agency of Indonesia is 103. Regional governor Ridwan Kamil gave the death toll around 162. There are reports that almost 390 people have injuries due to the earthquake. However, 7,000 people have left the comfort of their homes to take shelter in other safe areas.

Most of the injuries are bone fractures, as per Herman Suherman. He is the head of administration in Cianjur town. Many people got displaced. Many people still buried under debris, and evacuation is the priority here. The hospitals also faced the issue of a power outage after the earthquake.

The capital of Indonesia, Jakarta, is 100 km away from the epicenter. But tremors were readily felt there as well. People in high-rise buildings ran for their lives by recalling past experiences. Almost all buildings got empty when the tremors started. They started at 13:21 Western Indonesian Time. Indonesia is well-versed in earthquakes as it sits on the ‘Ring of Fire.

Credits: BBC