Indonesia earthquake: Death toll jumps to 162, officials warn toll may rise

West Java governor Ridwan Kamil and a local official said the death toll from an earthquake on Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday (November 21) had jumped to 162. Reports said that over 700 were injured. Officials have warned the death toll may rise.

"I regret to inform that 162 are dead," West Java governor Ridwan Kamil said in a video seen by the news agency AFP.

The toll was also confirmed by Adam, who is the spokesman for the local administration in Cianjur town in West Java.

The epicentre of the earthquake was the town of Cianjur, which is 75 km (45 miles) southeast of the capital Jakarta. There was no danger of a tsunami.The magnitude of the earthquake was 5.6Richter scale.

The national disaster agency (BNPB), whose data lagged behind local officials on the ground on Monday, told a news conference up to 700 people had been injured and more than 300 homes damaged or destroyed.

Reuters news agency said that the quake was so strong that people rushed out of apartments, and offices.

Geophysics agency BMKG chief Dwikorita Karnawati told reporters at the parliamentary buildingto stay outdoors in case of aftershocks.

According to officials, the quake caused a minor landslideCianjur. While two trapped people were rescued, a third one couldn't survive.

"We managed to evacuate a woman and a baby alive, but the other one passed away. That's the only thing I can share for now," Cianjur police chief Doni Hermawan told broadcaster Metro TV, AFP reported.

Another official at the BMKG,Suko Prayitno Adi, said the authorities were checking the extent of the damage caused by the quake.

The United States Geological Survey (USGS) recorded the earthquake at a magnitude of 5.4 on the Richter scale.

(With inputs from agencies)

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