Homes and lives lost in earthquake; many injured

Earthquakes, no matter how shallow still leaves behind destruction. Those living in the earthquake-prone areas are accustomed to them.

A shallow earthquake hit Central Java province of western Indonesia on Wednesday, leaving 3 people dead and hundreds houses and buildings destroyed.

Disaster officials said Thursday as they declared a two-week emergency for the affected areas.

The 4.4-magnitude quake struck the province at 13:28pm Jakarta time (0728 GMT) with the epicenter 52km north of Kebumen district and a depth of 4km, according to the meteorology and geophysics agency.

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Central Java’s Disaster Management Agency head Sarwo Pramana said the quake which was felt in many parts of the province killed two elderly people and a 13-year-old boy who was crushed by collapsing buildings.

“The wounded people have been rushed to a nearby health clinic for medical treatment, and some others have been evacuated,” he said.

More than 300 houses, school buildings, and mosques were damaged by the quake, Sutopo said, adding that the hardest-hit area is Kertosari village.

Risk assessment of the natural disaster is being undertaken along with the establishment of emergency relief centre, he said.