Quake jolts Java;162 dead, 13K hurt, most of them kids

Cianjur, November 21

A strong, shallow earthquake toppled buildings and walls on Indonesia’s densely populated main island on Monday, killing at least 162 people and injuring hundreds of others as residents fled into the street, some covered in blood and debris.

Officials were gathering information on the toll of those injured and killed by the quake in the remote area.

West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said the number of confirmed dead had risen to 162.“The majority of those who died were children,” he said.

Many were public school students who had finished their regular classes for the day and were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools, he said.

Cianjur is known for having a large number of Islamic boarding schools and mosques.

“So many incidents occurred at several Islamic schools,” Kamil said.

He said more than 13,000 people whose homes had been heavily damaged were being taken to evacuation centres.

Rescue teams and civilians in Cianjur were looking for others who may have been buried in the debris of collapsed brick houses. The quake brought down walls, chunks of concrete and roof tiles, some of which landed inside bedrooms.

Several landslides were reported around Cianjur. Among the dozens of buildings that were damaged was an Islamic boarding school, the agency said. — AP