At least 46 killed and 700 injured as 5.6 magnitude earthquake hits Indonesia

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At least 46 people have been killed following an earthquake in Indonesia.

Around 700 people have also been injured in the 5.6 magnitude quake.

The number of fatalities could rise even further, Herman Suherman, a district official from Cianjur, told Kompas TV – with evacuation efforts being hampered by landslides in some places.

A hospital worker carries an earthquake victim on a gurney outside a hospital in Cianjur, West Indonesia, Indonesia 
PIC:AP
Image:
A hospital worker carries an earthquake victim on a gurney outside a hospital in Cianjur. Pic: AP

Many were hurt because they were hit by collapsed buildings, according to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, with some residents trapped in the rubble.

Some areas are currently cut off.

The earthquake hit in the Cianjur region in West Java province at a depth of 6.2 miles, according to the US Geological Survey.

Several landslides were reported around Cianjur and dozens of buildings were damaged, including an Islamic boarding school, a hospital and other public facilities.

More on Earthquakes

Footage from Metro TV showed some buildings in Cianjur reduced almost entirely to rubble as residents huddled outside.

Pic: Xinhua/Shutterstock
Image:
Pic: Xinhua/Shutterstock

Residents in the capital city of Jakarta fled into the streets for safety.

Muchlis, who was in Cianjur when the quake hit, said he was “very shocked” and “worried” as he felt “a huge tremor” and the walls and ceiling of his office were damaged.

People gather as they are evacuated outside a building following an earthquake in Jakarta, Indonesia, November 21, 2022. REUTERS/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana
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People gather as they are evacuated outside a building. Pic: Reuters/Ajeng Dinar Ulfiana

Twenty-five aftershocks were recorded in two hours after the quake, according to the weather and geophysics agency BMKG.

Earthquakes occur frequently across the sprawling archipelago nation of more than 270 million people, but it is uncommon for them to be felt in Jakarta.

Municipality officers evacuate their injured colleague. Pic: BPBD/Reuters
Image:
Municipality officers evacuate their injured colleague. Pic: BPBD/Reuters

In February, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. Tremors were felt as far away as Malaysia and Singapore.

In January 2021, at least 105 people died and nearly 6,500 were injured in West Sulawesi province following a major earthquake of similar magnitude.

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