Foreign
Indonesia earthquake: Many schoolchildren killed as toll soars to 268
Published
1 year agoon
By
Vida Essel-LampteyMany of those killed and injured in a major earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java were children, rescuers say, as the death toll soars to 268.
Aprizal Mulyadi, 14, was at school when the quake hit, saying he was trapped after “the room collapsed and my legs were buried under the rubble”.
He said he was pulled to safety by his friend Zulfikar, who later died after himself becoming trapped.
More than 1,000 people were wounded, officials say.
In its latest announcements on Tuesday, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) added that 151 people were still missing.
It also said that 22,000 houses had been damaged, and that more than 58,000 people had taken shelter in several locations in the region.
The 5.6 magnitude quake struck a mountainous region on Monday, causing landslides that buried entire villages near the West Java town of Cianjur.
Victims were crushed or trapped after walls and roofs caved in. “It all happened so fast,” Aprizal told AFP news agency.
A representative of the National Search and Rescue Agency also confirmed that many of the dead were young people.
“Most of the casualties are children because at 1pm, they were still at school,” said Henri Alfiandi.
The earthquake, which struck at a shallow depth of 10km (six miles), was followed by dozens of aftershocks which caused more damage as poorly built homes collapsed.
In the village of Cibereum, a family was trying to retrieve the body of their eldest son – a 28-year-old man who had been crushed when the other levels of the home fell on him.
Rescuers struggled to sift the rubble.
“We have to dig through the concrete of the second floor that crushed the victim. But we have seen the body,” a military official, Sergeant Payakun told the BBC.
President Joko Widodo visited the remote disaster zone on Tuesday where he was pictured with responders.
“My instruction is to prioritise evacuating victims that are still trapped under rubble,” he said.
Hundreds of police and other rescuers are taking part in the rescue effort. Mr Jokowi pledged compensation to affected communities.
Earthquakes are common in Indonesia, which sits on the “ring of fire” area of tectonic activity in the Pacific.
The country has a history of devastating tremors and tsunamis, with more than 2,000 people killed in a 2018 earthquake on the island of Sulawesi.
Source: BBC
You may like
-
Teenage boy arrested in Bangkok shooting
-
Former First Lady of Ghana Theresa Kufuor reported dead
-
More done 70 dead, 50 others injured in Johannesburg migrant building fire
-
Miss Universe Indonesia contestants claim they were subjected to topless ‘body checks’
-
Kuami Eugene loses father
-
‘French icon’ actress Jane Birkin dies aged 76
Mahama leads NDC to mourn with Kufuor over wife’s passing
Former President John Dramani Mahama on Wednesday, October 4 led a delegation from the National Democratic Congress (NDC) to visit...
Former First Lady of Ghana Theresa Kufuor reported dead
The former First Lady of Ghana and wife of Ghana’s former President, John Agyekum Kufour, Mrs Theresa Kufuor has been...
The most powerful tool for change is the right to vote – Mahama
The 2024 flagbearer of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), John Dramani Mahama, is rallying Ghanaains who have grown disillusioned with...
PFJ was a mere state resource looting platform – Minority
The Minority has descended heavily on the Akufo-Addo-led government for launching a second phase of the flagship Planting for Food...
ECOWAS is desecrating Ghana
The Director of Legal Affairs of the National Democratic Congress (NDC), Mr Abraham Amaliba has said the Economy Community of...
Prof Gyampo elected President of UTAG, University of Ghana branch
A Senior Lecturer at the Political Science Department of the University of Ghana (Legon), Prof Ransford Gyampo have been elected...