Earthquake Shook Indonesia- Death Toll Reaches 268, More than 1000 Injured

An Earthquake with a 5.6 magnitude hit Indonesia’s main Island of Java in the late afternoon of Monday, 21st November. Several landslides following this earthquake buried entire villages near the West Java town of Cianjur, causing 268 deaths including many children. Search for Survivors is still underway as 151 are still missing.

Updates of the Region Following the Tragedy

With the significant rise in the death toll, over a thousand injuries, and tens of thousands of people displaced, it’s needless to say the whole region is in severe distress. The National Disaster Mitigation Agency suggested that over 22,000 houses had been damaged and more than 58,000 people had taken shelters. Rescuers are still searching for trapped survivors although it's been proven difficult due to the damaged roads and the enormous size of the devastated area. 

More sadly, many of the victims were local school students who were in the class when the buildings started collapsing. Save the Children suggests that at least 80 schools had been damaged. Moreover, the hospitals in the region are overwhelmed due to the huge number of patients. Even some of the patients are forced to lie in tents outside the hospitals, awaiting treatment. 

However, aid has started to arrive in the area including food supplies, tents, blankets, and other necessities. President of Indonesia, Joko Widodo visited the affected area on Tuesday, 22nd

November. He mentioned- “My instruction is to prioritize evacuating victims that are still trapped under rubble”. 

Why Did an Earthquake with a 5.6 Magnitude Caused Such Damage?

Well, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake is considered rather medium-sized while the damage caused by it was enormous. So, many people are still confused about the situation and have many questions. For instance, the experts suggested that proximity to the fault lines, the depth of the temblor, and the buildings not being contracted using earthquake-proof methods were factors in such destruction.

In this case, the U.S. Geological Survey said that the earthquake measured a 5.6 magnitude and struck at a depth of 10 kilometers/ 6.2 miles. They also mentioned, "There is not one magnitude above which damage will occur. It depends on other variables, such as the distance from the earthquake, what type of soil you are on, building construction"

Assistant geology professor of Universitas Gadjah Mada, Gayatri Marliyani suggests “Even though the earthquake was medium-sized, it was close to the surface and located inland, close to where people live. The energy was still large enough to cause significant shaking that led to the damage. She also added that the worst-affected areas are close to several known fault lines.