Indonesia’s main island of Java was rocked by an earthquake Monday that killed at least 46 people and damaged dozens of buildings.
According to the U.S. Geological Survey, the magnitude 5.6 earthquake was centered in the Cianjur region in West Java province at a depth of 10 kilometers, or 6.2 miles.
National Disaster Mitigation Agency chief Suharyanto said at least 46 people died and another 700 were injured in the earthquake. The agency said an Islamic boarding school, a hospital and other public facilities were among the dozens of damaged buildings.
People in the greater Jakarta area said the earthquake felt strong in their area, which has many high rises. Some people in the area had to be evacuated.
STRONG EARTHQUAKE SHAKES WESTERN INDONESIA, NO TSUNAMI ALERT ISSUED
The country is often hit by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because of its location on the “Ring of Fire,” an arc of volcanoes and fault lines in the Pacific Basin.
WEST TEXAS RATTLED BY 5.3 MAGNITUDE EARTHQUAKE
A magnitude 6.2 earthquake in February killed at least 25 people and injured more than 460 in West Sumatra province. In January 2021, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake killed more than 100 people and injured nearly 6,500 in West Sulawesi province.
And a powerful Indian Ocean earthquake and tsunami killed nearly 230,000 people in a dozen countries in 2004. The majority of these people were in Indonesia.
Still, it is uncommon for the people of Jakarta to feel an earthquake.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
