The island of Java in Indonesia was struck by 5.6-magnitude earthquake on Monday killing over 44 people while hundreds were injured.
The quake was centred in the Cianjur region of West Java but felt as far away as the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, according to the United States Geological Survey.
“There have been dozens of people killed. So far, 44 people have died,” said Adam, a spokesman for the local administration in Cianjur town.
He said as many as thousands of houses could have been damaged in the quake.
Herman Suherman, the local administration chief in the town worst hit by the tremor said most of the deaths were counted in one hospital alone.
He said there are other casualties without a specific figure in surrounding villages.
“The information I got for now, in this hospital alone, nearly 20 died and at least 300 people are being treated,” Suherman said.
“Most of them had fractures from being trapped by the ruins of buildings.”
Local media said a hospital, an Islamic boarding school and shops in the town were severely damaged by the quake.
Broadcast showed several buildings in Cianjur with their roofs collapsed and debris lining the streets.
Suherman said relatives of victims had congregated at the town’s Sayang hospital and warned the death count could rise as villagers outside of the town may still be trapped.
“We are currently handling people who are in an emergency state in this hospital. The ambulances keep on coming from the villages to the hospital,” he said.
“There are many families in villages that have not been evacuated.”
The country’s disaster chief Suharyanto, who also goes by one name, said at least 14 people had died in the Cianjur area but said information was “still developing”.
Cianjur police chief Doni Hermawan told Metro TV authorities had rescued a woman and a baby from a landslide but a third person they found had died of their injuries.
In Jakarta, the capital, the country’s meteorological agency warned residents near the quake to watch out for more.
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