Indonesia: November earthquake toll rises

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IndonesiaNovember earthquake toll rises after new tally

As of this Friday, 335 people have been killed in the November 21 earthquake on the island of Java. Suddenly, it crossed the 600 death mark, and the families did not notify the authorities.

Most of the victims were killed by collapsing buildings or landslides in the city of Cianjur in West Java, Indonesia’s most populous province.

AFP

The death toll from an earthquake that struck Indonesia’s main island of Java in November has almost doubled to 602, a local government official said on Friday.

On November 21, a 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the city of Cianjur in Indonesia’s most populous West Java province. Most of the victims were killed by collapsed buildings or landslides. The previous count was 335 dead.

Siangjur local government spokesman Adam, who like many Indonesians has only one name, said the new death toll was based on data collected from 602 city residents. “When someone dies, the people of Cianjur immediately bury them. Due to the panic situation, the dead were buried immediately by their relatives without informing the health institution.

Wawan Setiawan, an official at the Local Rescue Services Agency, confirmed the new figure. National news agency Antara on Friday quoted Siangjur district chief Herman Suherman as giving the new death toll at 602.

Data must be verified

Abdul Muhari, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said it was still proposing that the death toll drop to 335, but was working to verify the new figure. “The district chief said they already have the data, but we still need to verify,” the spokesman said, adding that to qualify for government assistance, relatives must remove victims from their family register. Also get death certificate from authorities. .

Many victims were found buried under the rubble in the days following the earthquake, and only a few successful rescues were reported. Surgery to free a 6-year-old boy, was described as a “miracle” by rescuers. More than 62,000 houses were damaged by the quake and more than 73,000 people were displaced to at least 325 camps, officials said.

Located on the Pacific “Ring of Fire” where tectonic plates meet, Indonesia experiences frequent earthquakes and volcanic eruptions. It is Indonesia’s worst earthquake since 2018, when the Balu (Celebes Island) earthquake and tsunami killed more than 4,000 people.

(AFP)

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