At least three people died after a robust 6.5-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s essential island of Java, an official said on Saturday.
According to the US Geological Survey, the earthquake occurred at a depth of 91 km near the coastal city of Cipatujah on the island of Java late on Friday evening.
The tremors were felt across the island, including the capital Jakarta, about 300 km from the epicenter.
A 62-year-old man in Ciamis and an 80-year-old woman in town of Pekalongan died when the buildings they were in collapsed, said national disaster mitigation agency spokesman Sutopo Purwo Nugroho, while a 34-year-old woman in Yogyakarta died after falling while fleeing from home.
“Several hospitals in several areas were also damaged and patients had to be evacuated,” Nugroho said.
At the hospital in Banyumas, ceilings and partitions were damaged and oxygen pipes leaked, forcing about 70 patients to be moved to temporary shelters.
The country’s disaster mitigation agency said at the least 900 homes were also damaged, in addition to schools and government offices in West Java and Central Java provinces.
Web Warouw, a 50-year-old resident of Jakarta, was on the 18th floor of the constructing when the earthquake struck just before midnight local time.
“We suddenly felt dizzy… Then we realized it was an earthquake and immediately ran downstairs,” Warouw said.
Aid is being distributed and temporary tents are being arrange for individuals who have lost their homes.
The agency continues to be assessing the impact of the disaster and urged people to stay cautious and vigilant.
Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity as a result of its location on the “Ring of Fire” within the Pacific Ocean, where tectonic plates collide.
About 170,000 people died within the 9.1-magnitude earthquake and tsunami that hit Aceh province in December 2004, which also affected coastal areas so far as Somalia.
In December 2016, an earthquake struck Aceh again, killing over 100 people, injuring many others and leaving tens of hundreds homeless.
This article appeared within the print edition of the South China Morning Post as: An earthquake shakes Java, destroys lots of of homes
