Earthquake in Indonesia Kills At Least 162 People, Leaves Hundreds Injured as Tremor Strikes Heavily Populated Areas

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake killed at least 162 people and injured hundreds of others in Indonesia on Monday, November 21.

The deadly quake resulted in collapsed buildings and homes, as well as damaged infrastructure, resulting in widespread blackouts and lack of water supply.

The recent catastrophic event prompted a major emergency and evacuation response from Indonesian officials.

Fatal Indonesia Earthquake

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) stated the 5.6 magnitude tremor occurred 18 kilometers west-southwest of Ciranjang-hilir, located in west Java, Indonesia, at 1:21 p.m. local time on Monday, November 21.

In addition, the quake had a depth of only 10 kilometers, meaning it is shallow enough to cause destructive and fatal seismic waves, especially in heavily-populated urban areas.

Multiple reports had released that the initial death toll ranged between 44 and 62 people.

However, as rescuers worked overnight to save survivors and remove the debris of establishments, the number of human fatalities has risen to 162.

Furthermore, most of the deaths was caused by falling debris as some people were trapped inside houses and collapsed buildings.

In one of the reports, Indonesia's National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) stated at least 62 people had died from the major earthquake.

While speaking to local media, West Java Regional Governor, Ridwan Kamil, stated that there are some 326 people who had been injured in the earthquake, adding that most of them incurred fractures caused by being crushed in ruins, as cited by the BBC.

Displacement and Infrastructural Damage

Kamil also warned some residents are still trapped in isolated places and local officials reportedly assumed the number of injured and deaths will still rise.

The West Java governor also noted that more than 13,000 people have been displaced by the natural disaster and the BNPB said over 2,200 homes have been damaged by the powerful quake, as cited by the UK broadcasting company.

Multiple sources also said that the 5.6 magnitude quake caused power outages and cut water supplies in the affected areas in West Java.

On Monday evening, the governor posted on Twitter that it could take up to three days before power can be fully restored in the region, adding mobile phone signal remained poor and was causing "a lot of problems" for officials, as cited by the BBC.

West Java Earthquake

The epicenter of the earthquake was in the town of Cianjur, located 75 kilometers (45 miles) southeast of the Indonesian capital city of Jakarta.

Despite the strong magnitude of the earthquake, there was no threat of a tsunami since the seismic event also occurred inland.

The quake was felt in the area and its surrounding regions, forcing some people to rush out of their apartments and offices, according to Reuters news agency, as cited by WION.

In addition, officials said the quake caused a minor landslide in the town.

Related rockfalls also occurred in some areas, preventing evacuation efforts and aid.

Indonesia often experiences earthquakes and volcanic activities, as well as ocean waves called tsunamis, since the country sits within the seismically-active region of the "Pacific Ring of Fire," a collection of fault lines and volcanoes, as cited by VOA News.