JAKARTA, (Reuters) – A powerful earthquake killed at least 35 people and forced thousands to flee homes and offices in Indonesia yesterday, government agencies said.
The 7.0 magnitude quake, recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey, shook buildings in the capital Jakarta and flattened homes in villages closer to the epicentre in West Java.
Government officials said about 1,300 houses were damaged although local television reports put the number at 3,500. At least 35 people were killed and more than 300 people injured, they said.
More than 40 people were missing after the quake triggered a landslide in the district of Cianjur, about 60 miles (100 km) south of Jakarta, an official at the National Disaster Mitigation Agency said.
Priyadi Kardono, another official, said the death toll could be much higher as scores of houses and office buildings had collapsed or suffered severe damage. It was proving difficult to contact some of the affected areas.
