According to the last balance released on Wednesday (23), the number of deaths due to the earthquake and aftershocks that hit the island of West Java, in Indonesia, reached 271, the majority being children and young people. With that, the rescuers who are in action in the affected areas have intensified their searches for the survivors, bearing in mind that the total number of missing people is 40 people. Keep reading and stay on top of everything about this news.
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earthquake in indonesia
Last Tuesday (21), the National Disaster Mitigation Agency reported that 22,000 homes were affected, and around 58,000 people had to take shelter in various areas of the region. Roads were also hit, and a large area was affected by the earthquake, making it difficult for rescuers to find new survivors.
With a magnitude of 5.6, the earthquake hit a region with a mountainous area the day before it hit other areas of West Java more impact and, with that, generated landslides that completely buried the villages that are located near the city of Cianjur, in Java Western.
After the walls and roofs gave way, victims were crushed or trapped in the rubble. According to a representative of the National Search and Rescue Agency, most of the victims were young people and children. This is because, at 1 pm, when the tremor occurred, they were all in their schools.
Reaching about 6 miles (10 km) the earthquake generated several aftershocks that, as they happened, destroyed the houses that had less structure to withstand all the impacts.
Because it is located in the “ring of fire” region, characterized by tectonic activity in the Pacific Ocean region, it is very common for earthquakes to occur in Indonesia.