The death toll from Monday’s 5.6-magnitude earthquake in Indonesia has risen to more than 260, officials have confirmed, noting that more than 150 people are still missing.
The National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said 268 people have been confirmed dead so far, including 122 who have been identified, while 151 people have been reported missing, according to Indonesian television channel Kompas.
Shortly before, authorities in Cianjur district, located in West Java and the most affected by the event, had indicated in a graphic posted via Instagram that 252 people had been confirmed dead, while 377 had been injured and 7,060 had been displaced by the earthquake.
«Ten localities have been affected by the strong earthquake in Cianjur regency,» he said in his message, in which he stressed that the figure was provisional. «Please pray for Cianjur,» he added.
He also pointed out that 2,834 houses were damaged by the earthquake and stressed that among the damaged buildings there are also thirteen educational centers, five health centers, five places of worship, two bridges and two roads.
The President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo, visited the affected area and stressed that «the evacuation and rescue process must be prioritized», while expressing his condolences to the victims of the earthquake.
The president applauded the success of the work to unblock a road affected by a landslide on Monday, which will allow the expansion of rescue operations, as reported by the Indonesian state news agency Antara.
He also announced that the government will provide financial aid to help the victims, including funds for the restoration of damaged houses. «The most important thing is that builders meet earthquake standards,» said Widodo.
The earthquake occurred at 13.21 hours (local time), with its epicenter ten kilometers south of Cianjur, according to the Indonesian National Meteorological, Geophysical and Climatological Agency (BMKG), which ruled out the risk of tsunami. For its part, the BNPB confirmed that the earthquake had shaken the capital, Jakarta, with no casualties reported in the city.
