Several landslides were also reported after the tremors of 5.6 magnitude hit the Cianjur region.

At least 46 persons died and around 700 were injured after an earthquake with a magnitude of 5.6 hit Indonesia on Monday, The Associated Press reported.

The epicentre of the earthquake was at Cianjur region in the country’s West Java province and the tremors emerged at shallow depth of 10 kilometres, according to data from the United States Geological Survey

Indonesia’s National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said that majority of the deaths were reported from the regional hospital in Cianjur which collapsed due to the earthquake.

Several landslides were also reported in the area. “Information was still being collected about the extent of casualties and damage,” Suharyanto said, according to AP.

Indonesia experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity, leading to earthquakes and tsunamis. This is because of its position on the Pacific Ring of Fire where tectonic plates collide.

In 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake had hit the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed around 2.2 lakh people in the area. Around 1.7 lakhs died in Indonesia. In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude earthquake, followed by a tsunami, in Indonesia’s Sulawesi island had left over 4,300 people dead or missing.

In 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.

AE News