Earthquake in Indonesia: at least 46 dead and 700 injured - no tsunami warning

Created: 11/21/2022, 12:09 p.m

By: Raffaela Maas

People gather at an emergency collection point in Jakarta.

A 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia's western province of West Java on Monday.

© Veri Sanovri/XinHua/dpa

Despite a comparatively low magnitude of 5.6, an earthquake on the Indonesian island of Java caused major damage.

The death toll on Java is also increasing.

Jakarta - An earthquake shook the Indonesian island of Java on Monday afternoon (local time).

At least 46 people were killed in the magnitude 5.6 quake, the national civil protection agency said.

Around 700 people were also injured.

The epicenter was near the capital Jakarta, a few kilometers southwest of the city of Cianjur.

This is also where the greatest damage occurred.

Earthquake on Java results in collapsed buildings and casualties

Many houses were badly damaged by the earthquake.

Videos on social media showed collapsed buildings and people crying.

The injured were cared for by emergency services.

Debris lay everywhere on the streets.

The exact extent of the damage was initially unclear.

The earthquake was clearly felt in the metropolis of Jakarta itself.

High-rise buildings swayed, but no major damage was initially reported in the city.

According to the US Earthquake Monitor (USGS), the quake took place at a depth of ten kilometers.

There was no tsunami warning.

Island nation of Indonesia: located in the most geologically active zone on earth

The island nation of Indonesia lies on the Pacific Ring of Fire, the most geologically active zone on earth.

Earthquakes and volcanic eruptions are common there.

In February, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on the island of Sumatra killed nearly 20 people.

More than 400 were injured.

(dpa/rrm)