Updated on
Summary
A powerful earthquake killed at least 14 people and forced thousands to evacuate on Indonesia's main island, where more than 1,300 homes were damaged, government agencies said. The 7.0 magnitude quake, as recorded by the US Geological Survey, shook buildings in the capital Jakarta and flattened homes in villages closer to the epicenter in West Java. An official at the Social Ministry said that so far, 14 people had died, more than 700 houses were badly damaged and about 600 others had suffered moderate damage in the quake. However, Priyadi Kardono, an official at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, warned the death toll could be much higher, as scores of houses and office buildings had collapsed or suffered severe damage, and it was proving difficult to contact some of the affected areas. Communications with the coastal areas were completely cut, so we don't know the conditions there, he said. No reports have come from those areas, although we assume those were the most affected ones. It's possible the death toll could grow higher. The health ministry said it was sending medical teams to the affected areas in West Java.
