Indonesia earthquake: Search for survivors amid devastation
November 24, 2022
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited one of the most badly damaged areas in Indonesia's West Java province, assuring people that evacuation would be a top priority. Monday's deadly quake has killed at least 271.
Indonesia is frequently struck by earthquakes because it is situated on the so-called "Ring of Fire"Image: Aditya Irawan/NurPhoto/IMAGO
Monday's earthquake shook the West Java province, killing at least 271 people, with at least 100 of them being children, the chief of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said on Thursday.
Indonesian President Joko Widodo visited Cianjur in West Java on Thursday, the region struck by the earthquake.
Widodo said a number of people were still missing and evacuation was a top priority for workers despite unfavorable weather conditions.
"Steep conditions and it is still raining and there are still aftershocks. The soil is unstable, so you need to be careful," Widodo said.
A number of people remain trapped in houses buried by the mud, with around 1,000 search and rescue personnel looking for people using heavy equipment, sniffer dogs and life detectors at Cijedia village, one of the worst-hit areas, in West Java.
Widodo also visited Ciajun on Tuesday, promising financial assistance of up to 50 million rupiahs ($3,180, €3,053) to each resident whose house was damaged.
Thousands of houses damaged, many schools destroyed
The 5.6 magnitude earthquake on Monday struck a highly populated area — some 2.5 million people live in the mountainous Cianjur district.
More than 2000 people were injured and another 61,000 people were forced to evacuate to shelters, leaving many without adequate supplies since the quake blocked the roads needed to get aid to those affected.
Some 56,000 houses were damaged, while 171 public facilities, including schools, were destroyed, the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
While the magnitude of the earthquake itself would typically be expected to cause light damage, experts say proximity to fault lines, the shallowness of the quake and inadequate infrastructure that cannot withstand earthquakes all contributed to extensive damage.
Indonesia: Rising death toll after devastating earthquake
Rescuers on the island of Java are continuing to search for trapped and injured people in remote areas of the mountainous region south of Jakarta.
Image: ADITYA AJI/AFP/Getty Images
Rescuers working round the clock
Rescuers are working non-stop after the earthquake in Indonesia. The epicenter was in the west of the main island of Java, near the city of Cianjur, south of the capital Jakarta. The number of dead recovered from the rubble so far is over 260. More than 300 people have been injured and many people are still missing.
Image: Mas Agung Wilis/NurPhoto/IMAGO
Landslide complicates rescue
According to the Indonesian Geophysics and Meteorology Agency, the earthquake had a magnitude of 5.6. The tremors were also felt in the capital Jakarta, 75 kilometers (46 miles) to the north. Numerous aftershocks and a massive landslide destroyed further buildings and access roads in the affected region.
Image: Raisan Al Farisi/ANTARA FOTO/REUTERS
Injured piling up outside hospitals
About two and a half million people live in the affected mountain region. Outside the overcrowded hospitals, hundreds of seriously injured patients are waiting for further treatment. "We expect the number of injured and dead to continue to rise over time," says Ridwan Kamil, governor of West Java province.
Image: Raisan Al Farisi/Antara Foto/REUTERS
Tents provide shelter at night
Around 13,000 evacuated people are seeking refuge in shelters and tents. Thousands of people are still homeless, and a breakdown in power and cellular networks is also hampering rescue and relief efforts. This family found shelter at night in an improvised tent.
Image: Raisan Al Farisi/Antara Foto/REUTERS
Search for survivors
Rescuing those trapped is a matter of utmost urgency for all responders. "Our team is also trying to reach remote areas," says Henri Alfiandi, head of the National Agency for Search and Rescue. "For us, all victims are a priority, our goal is to find them and save lives by getting them evacuated as soon as possible and get medical help."
Image: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images
Masses of earth block the way
With spades, pry bars, drills and their bare hands, aid workers and rescue teams are digging through the masses of earth to clear access roads to isolated villages and reach buried buildings. The landslide is said to have buried an entire cafe. It is uncertain whether visitors were able to escape the disaster.
Image: Tatan Syuflana/AP Photo/picture alliance
Improvised rescue efforts
People in the affected region rescue their belongings from the collapsed houses. Here, a man evacuates a cat from what remains of his home. According to the disaster management agency BNPB, more than 2200 houses were destroyed in the quake. Many families are left with absolutely nothing.
Image: ADEK BERRY/AFP/Getty Images
Total devastation
Earthquakes occur regularly in Indonesia. In the region, different earth plates meet in the earth's crust and form the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a seismically highly active zone with numerous volcanoes. At the same time, hardly any buildings are built to be earthquake-proof.
