Indonesia: at least 271 dead and 700 injured in earthquake on Java Island

A 5.6-magnitude earthquake killed at least 271 people and injured 700 others in Indonesia. The earthquake's epicenter was located in the city of Cianjur, West Java, located 60 miles south of Jakarta. It affected a large area of the island of Java. The depth of the earthquake was six feet, according to data provided by the U.S. Geological Survey.

There are several videos of the earthquake showing houses and buildings almost completely destroyed, as well as a multitude of debris scattered throughout the streets. Many witnesses described what happened during the quake. Vidi Primadhania, an employee in South Jakarta, was one of them: "The quake felt so strong. My colleagues and I decided to get out of our office on the ninth floor using the emergency stairs," she said in statements reported by NBC.

Lawyer Mayadita Waluyo also described what happened to AFP: "I was working when the floor under me was shaking. I could feel the tremor clearly. I tried to do nothing to process what it was, but it became even stronger and lasted for some time."

The area where the earthquake occured is a densely populated area that also has buildings in very poor condition. This makes the rescue personnel's work even more difficult.

The local authorities do not consider to be in the clear and continue to ask people to be careful and look out for the possible aftershocks that may occur in the coming hours, which could increase the number of victims. Herman Suherman, head of administration in the city of Cianjur, told Kompas TV that "casualties kept coming from many areas" and that "around 700 people were injured."