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Friday, March 29, 2024

Indonesia quake toll reaches 268; 151 still missing

The quake that struck Cianjur town at a depth of 10 km on November 21, also led to more than 1,000 people being injured, as per the reports.

Jakarta:

The death toll from the 5.6-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia’s West Java province earlier this week has increased to 268, while 151 people still remain unaccounted for, authorities said on November 23.

The quake that struck Cianjur town at a depth of 10 km on November 21, also led to more than 1,000 people being injured, as per the reports.

According to the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, 22,000 houses were damaged, and more than 58,000 people are currently in shelters.

The Agency added that the quake, which was followed by dozens of aftershocks, also caused landslides that buried entire villages.

A search and rescue operation is underway to try and find more trapped survivors.

President Joko Widodo visited the disaster zone on November 22 where he was pictured with responders.

“My instruction is to prioritise evacuating victims that are still trapped under rubble,” as per the reports quoted the President as saying.

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. (IANS)

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