Indonesia earthquake: Search for survivors as death toll soars - BBC

Rescuers successful Indonesia are moving done a 2nd nighttime to effort to find survivors trapped pursuing an earthquake successful West Java.

Officials enactment the decease toll astatine 268, galore of them children, with 151 inactive missing and much than 1,000 injured.

Damaged roads and the immense size of the affected country are making it hard to find and assistance victims.

Aprizal Mulyadi was astatine schoolhouse erstwhile the quake hit, and was trapped aft "the country collapsed".

The 14-year-old said said his "legs were buried nether the rubble", but helium was pulled to information by his person Zulfikar, who aboriginal died aft himself becoming trapped.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency said that 22,000 houses had been damaged, and that much than 58,000 radical had taken structure successful respective locations successful the region.

The 5.6 magnitude quake struck a mountainous portion connected Monday, causing landslides that buried full villages adjacent the West Java municipality of Cianjur.

Victims were crushed oregon trapped aft walls and roofs caved in. "It each happened truthful fast," Aprizal told AFP quality agency.

A typical of the National Search and Rescue Agency besides confirmed that galore of the dormant were young people.

"Most of the casualties are children due to the fact that astatine 1pm, they were inactive astatine school," said Henri Alfiandi.

The earthquake, which struck astatine a shallow extent of 10km (six miles), was followed by dozens of aftershocks which caused much harm arsenic poorly built homes collapsed.

In the colony of Cibereum, a household was trying to retrieve the assemblage of their eldest lad - a 28-year-old antheral who had been crushed erstwhile the different levels of the location fell connected him.

Rescuers struggled to sift the rubble.

"We person to excavation done the factual of the 2nd level that crushed the victim. But we person seen the body," a subject official, Sergeant Payakun told the BBC.

Cucu, a 48-year-old resident, told the Reuters quality bureau that she survived aft being crushed beneath a child.

"Two of my kids survived, I dug them up ... Two others I brought here, and 1 is inactive missing," she said done tears.

"Many bodies are lying successful the infirmary grounds, it's precise crowded," said her relative, Hesti.

In 1 area, victims held cardboard signs asking for nutrient and shelter.

President Joko Widodo visited the distant catastrophe portion connected Tuesday wherever helium was pictured with responders.

"My acquisition is to prioritise evacuating victims that are inactive trapped nether rubble," helium said.

Hundreds of constabulary and different rescuers are taking portion successful the rescue effort. Mr Jokowi pledged compensation to affected communities.

Save the Children said that astatine slightest 80 schools had been damaged.

"Children are terrified and we request to get food, h2o and structure to them and guarantee they're not astatine hazard of separation from parents and caregivers," a spokesperson said.

Earthquakes are communal successful Indonesia, which sits connected the "ring of fire" country of tectonic enactment successful the Pacific.

The state has a past of devastating tremors and tsunamis, with much than 2,000 radical killed successful a 2018 earthquake connected the land of Sulawesi.

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