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Death Toll in The Indonesian Earthquake Rises to 268

More than 268 people have been killed after an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck Indonesia’s west Java Province on Monday. 88 aftershocks were recorded after the quake.

Death Toll in The Indonesian Earthquake Rises to 268

More than 268  people have been killed after an earthquake of magnitude 5.6 struck Indonesia’s west Java Province on Monday. 88 aftershocks were recorded after the quake. 

The epicentre of the earthquake was near the town of Cianjur in West Java. This town is about 45 miles from southeast of the capital Jakarta. 

According to the weather and geophysics agency BMKG the earthquake struck at a shallow depth of 10 km. 

Indonesia's disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said that more than 2200 houses have been damaged and more than 5300 people have been displaced. 1300 people have been evacuated. 

BNPB said that the numbers of the deceased are likely to rise. 

The earthquake struck a mountainous region causing landslides that destroyed entire villages. Many villagers got trapped in their homes after roofs caved in. 

Many children lost their lives as most of them were at school when the earthquake struck. The number of youngsters who lost their lives is said to be high.

Families have lost their loved ones as many of them are trapped under the pile of rubble. 

“There are residents trapped in isolated places ... so we are under the assumption that the number of injured and deaths will rise with time”, West Java governor Ridwan Kamil  said.

Communication services are down and there is no electricity in many areas. 

Some of the injured are taking treatment in the hospital parking lot and emergency tents. Residents of Cianjur were seen huddled up in mats amidst a heap of destruction. 

Hundreds of people and rescuers are working to rescue victims. Social media videos show a grim picture of Indonesia with hundreds of panicking people on streets and homes completely destroyed. 

Indonesia lies on the pacific ring of fire which is prone to earthquakes and volcanoes. 

President Joko Widodo visited the disaster zone and pledged compensation to the affected families.