Earthquake kills at least 162 in Indonesia

At least 162 people have been killed and hundreds more injured after a powerful earthquake struck Indonesia West Java province on Monday near the city of Cianjur.

The 5.6 magnitude earthquake has left more than 13,000 people displaced and damaged over 2,200 homes. Emergency crew worked overnight to find people trapped in the rubble, but efforts to get the injured help was hampered, as landslides prevented many from getting to the city’s main hospital.

According to the Associated Press, many of those who died were public-school students who had finished their classes for the day and were taking extra lessons at Islamic schools.   

  West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil  said those whose homes had been heavily damaged were being taken to evacuation centers while the local government, national police and Indonesian military continued to gather information.

“Because Cianjur is characterized by many places that are very remote, so we need that data to determine the situation,” Kamil told the Associated Press.

The City of Cianjur is considered one of the most disaster-prone districts in Indonesia.

Nadine Harris: