The death toll from the earthquake in Cianjur, West Java, increased to 323, eight days after it struck the district, head of Cianjur district Herman Suherman informed on Monday.
“(As per) The latest data as of Monday, the death toll was recorded at 323 people,” he said at an online press conference, which was followed from Jakarta on Monday.
The number of missing was recorded at 9, he added.
“We will continue the search tomorrow. Hopefully, the bodies can be found,” he said.
He informed that the 108 people who were seriously injured in the quake were still hospitalized for treatment.
“The victims with minor injuries have been treated and have returned to their respective homes,” Suherman said.
Meanwhile, head of the National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB), Lieutenant General Suharyanto, said that the Cianjur district head would be fully in charge of carrying out tasks in the field for handling the earthquake, including searching for and helping victims and handling refugees.
“He will have full control regarding the implementation of tasks in the field, both in searching and assistance related to handling refugees, evacuation, and the construction of damaged houses,” he informed at a virtual press conference on Sunday.
The Cianjur earthquake has been designated as a regional disaster, therefore, it will be handled by the regional government until the situation returns to normal. Suherman, as the head of Cianjur district, will be the commander of the task force for handling the quake.
However, the central government will still assist and provide optimal assistance, Suharyanto said.
According to the Meteorology, Climatology, and Geophysics Agency (BMKG), the 5.6-magnitude earthquake struck Cianjur district at 1:21 p.m. local time on November 21, 2022. It was centered 10 kilometers southwest of the district at a depth of 10 km. It did not have the potential to trigger a tsunami.
The number of homes damaged in the earthquake was recorded at 58,049. Around 25,186 houses were seriously damaged, 12,496 moderately damaged, and 20,367 houses were lightly damaged in the quake.
The damaged infrastructure included 368 schools, 144 places of worship, 14 health facilities, and 16 buildings or offices. A total of 16 districts and 146 villages were affected by the earthquake.
Source: Antara News