A magnitude 5.6 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Java on Monday, with local reports suggesting at least 60 people were killed and over 700 injured as a result of the natural disaster.
The quake struck at a shallow depth of only 10km followed by a series of significant aftershocks, according to the United States Geological Survey. More than 60 people are believed dead, with rescue crews attempting to reach survivors stuck beneath rubble, Reuters reported.
A powerful earthquake struck Indonesia’s main island, Java, killing dozens of people and injuring hundreds more, officials said.https://t.co/y3CgcHMXAh pic.twitter.com/pXvpVjoLqR
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The epicenter of the quake was near a small town called Cianjur, roughly 75km from the capital of Jakarta, USGS noted. The ongoing aftershocks and initial quake means that buildings “crumbled and shattered,” West Java Gov. Ridwan Kamil told Reuters. “There are residents trapped in isolated places … so we are under the assumption that the number of injured and deaths will rise with time.”
Indonesia’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) reported that, so far, more than 2,200 homes were damaged, displacing some 5,300 people, Reuters continued. Disruptions to communications and electricity, as well as a landslide, all complicated the evacuation efforts. (RELATED: Incredible Videos Surface From Massive Earthquake In Papua New Guinea)
Earthquakes are fairly commonplace in Indonesia, due to its location in the “Pacific Ring of Fire,” according to Al Jazeera. In the last year alone, two magnitude 6.2 quakes have killed more than 125 people and injured almost 7,000 more.