Indonesia quake death toll rises to 62

The total number of displaced residents reached 5,389. They were spread across several points. (Pixabay photo)

JAKARTA – The death toll from the 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Cianjur district, West Java in Indonesia on Monday has increased to 62, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) has reported.

“The latest data from the BNPB Operations Control Center (Pusdalops) on Monday, as of 7:34 p.m. it is recorded 62 people died,” acting head of the BNPB’s Disaster Data, Information, and Communication Center, Abdul Muhari, said in a statement on Monday.

He said the victims were from Rancagoong village in Cilau sub-district, Limbagansari village in Cianjur sub-district, and Cugenang sub-district.

In addition, 25 people were still buried under collapsed buildings in Cijedil village, Cugenang sub-district, and 79 other people were injured in the quake.

The total number of displaced residents reached 5,389. They were spread across several points.

Muhari said about 2,272 homes, four government buildings, three educational facilities, and one worship facility were damaged in the quake, while one Cianjur hospital suffered slight damage and one Islamic boarding school was heavily damaged in the quake.

Apart from Cianjur district, infrastructure damage was also reported in Bogor district, where 46 houses were damaged.

Meanwhile, the quake damaged 443 homes in Sukabumi district and 14 homes in Sukabumi city.

“The earthquake also caused a landslide, which closed a cross-provincial road in Cianjur district,” Muhari said.

Meanwhile, the urgent needs in the field included 20 units of tents, heavy equipment for evacuation, 10 units of lighting, 100 units of beds, and fuel oil.

The local Regional Disaster Mitigation Agency is still collecting data on the number of fatalities and damaged infrastructures, he said.

He appealed to residents in Cianjur district and its surrounding areas to evacuate if they feel their houses are still not safe and remain vigilant about potential aftershocks.

“We ask residents to follow and get information from the official channels of BNPB, BMKG (Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency), BPBD, and local government. Because aftershocks are still being felt even though they are less powerful than the previous earthquake,” he said.