At least 162 people were killed in an earthquake that hit the main Indonesian island of Java | Indonesia

At least 162 people have died after a 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s main island of Java, triggering landslides and causing buildings to collapse.

The US Geological Survey said the epicenter of the quake, which occurred in the late afternoon, was in the Cianjur district of West Java province at a depth of 6.2 miles (10 kilometres).

Ridwan Kamil, the governor of West Java, said 162 people were killed.

“The majority of those who died were children,” he said, adding that many of them were students taking extra lessons. “Many incidents have occurred in many Islamic schools.”

Footage from Cianjur showed a school building with a collapsed roof, as well as badly damaged homes with brick walls demolished. In a local hospital overwhelmed with casualties, the wounded were treated outside, some lying on mattresses or blankets on the floor where they were given oxygen masks and intravenous drips.

General Suharyanto, head of the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB), said the nearby Sayang Hospital had no electricity after the quake, hampering efforts to treat the victims, and that more medical staff were needed.

Mos Mostupa, who lives in Badaluyo, a village in Cianjur, told Indonesian TV Kompas that he helped a family recover the body of an 80-year-old woman who died in the quake. He said it happened suddenly. “I was not prepared and I watched the houses reduced to rubble… about 50 houses were damaged, and about 10 of them were severely damaged.”

Map showing the location of the epicenter of the 5.6-magnitude earthquake in the province of West Java

Several landslides have been reported across Cianjur. The office said dozens of buildings were damaged, including an Islamic boarding school, a hospital and other public facilities. The agency added that information is still being collected on the extent of losses and damages.

Rescue workers and volunteers searched for victims who were trapped or injured under the rubble of collapsed buildings.

Emma Mafaz, a volunteer with the Indonesian Red Cross, said the tremors continued until late in the evening. “So far, the earthquake is still happening, but not as big as before. A minute ago it happened again. Many people didn’t want to stay in their homes,” she said, adding that people were traumatized and scared, and were sleeping outside .

Mafaz said that the houses were damaged in a wide area and access to them was difficult because of the cracked roads. The Indonesian Red Cross sent nurses on motorbikes to reach the wounded. Four of the hardest hit areas, about one hour from the main town, were inaccessible.

She added that electricity was down and communications were also affected, making rescue efforts more difficult.

“I passed out. It was so strong,” Hasan, a construction worker being treated at Cianjur Regional Hospital, told the Associated Press. “I saw my friends running to flee the building. But it was too late to get out and I hit the wall.”

The quake was felt in Indonesia’s capital, Jakarta, about 60 miles (100 km) away, as some buildings were evacuated and high-rises shook.

The USGS Pager System estimated that up to 242,000 people experienced “very strong shaking” and up to 978,000 people experienced “strong shaking”.

Panicked workers ran to the building exits in Jakarta as the earthquake hit, Mayadita Walyo, a 22-year-old lawyer, told AFP. “I was working when the ground beneath me was shaking. I could clearly feel the shaking,” she said, adding that she came down from the 14th floor.

The Indonesian Meteorological Agency warned residents near the epicenter to watch out for more tremors. “We urge people to stay out of buildings for the time being as there may be potential aftershocks,” Dwikorita Karnawati, the agency’s guide, told reporters.

Indonesia is particularly prone to earthquakes due to its location on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, the most seismically and volcanically active region in the world.

In February, a 6.2-magnitude earthquake killed at least 25 people and injured more than 460 others in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, an earthquake of similar magnitude killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in the province of West Sulawesi.

A powerful Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami in 2004 killed nearly 230,000 people in more than a dozen countries, most of them in Indonesia.

What Are The Main Benefits Of Comparing Car Insurance Quotes Online

LOS ANGELES, CA / ACCESSWIRE / June 24, 2020, / Compare-autoinsurance.Org has launched a new blog post that presents the main benefits of comparing multiple car insurance quotes. For more info and free online quotes, please visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/the-advantages-of-comparing-prices-with-car-insurance-quotes-online/ The modern society has numerous technological advantages. One important advantage is the speed at which information is sent and received. With the help of the internet, the shopping habits of many persons have drastically changed. The car insurance industry hasn't remained untouched by these changes. On the internet, drivers can compare insurance prices and find out which sellers have the best offers. View photos The advantages of comparing online car insurance quotes are the following: Online quotes can be obtained from anywhere and at any time. Unlike physical insurance agencies, websites don't have a specific schedule and they are available at any time. Drivers that have busy working schedules, can compare quotes from anywhere and at any time, even at midnight. Multiple choices. Almost all insurance providers, no matter if they are well-known brands or just local insurers, have an online presence. Online quotes will allow policyholders the chance to discover multiple insurance companies and check their prices. Drivers are no longer required to get quotes from just a few known insurance companies. Also, local and regional insurers can provide lower insurance rates for the same services. Accurate insurance estimates. Online quotes can only be accurate if the customers provide accurate and real info about their car models and driving history. Lying about past driving incidents can make the price estimates to be lower, but when dealing with an insurance company lying to them is useless. Usually, insurance companies will do research about a potential customer before granting him coverage. Online quotes can be sorted easily. Although drivers are recommended to not choose a policy just based on its price, drivers can easily sort quotes by insurance price. Using brokerage websites will allow drivers to get quotes from multiple insurers, thus making the comparison faster and easier. For additional info, money-saving tips, and free car insurance quotes, visit https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ Compare-autoinsurance.Org is an online provider of life, home, health, and auto insurance quotes. This website is unique because it does not simply stick to one kind of insurance provider, but brings the clients the best deals from many different online insurance carriers. In this way, clients have access to offers from multiple carriers all in one place: this website. On this site, customers have access to quotes for insurance plans from various agencies, such as local or nationwide agencies, brand names insurance companies, etc. "Online quotes can easily help drivers obtain better car insurance deals. All they have to do is to complete an online form with accurate and real info, then compare prices", said Russell Rabichev, Marketing Director of Internet Marketing Company. CONTACT: Company Name: Internet Marketing CompanyPerson for contact Name: Gurgu CPhone Number: (818) 359-3898Email: [email protected]: https://compare-autoinsurance.Org/ SOURCE: Compare-autoinsurance.Org View source version on accesswire.Com:https://www.Accesswire.Com/595055/What-Are-The-Main-Benefits-Of-Comparing-Car-Insurance-Quotes-Online View photos