Indonesia to hand out compensation to earthquake victims

Victims in the quake (Photo: VNA)

Jakarta (VNA) – Indonesian President Joko Widodo announced on November 22 that the government will hand out compensation to victims and their families after an earthquake struck the country’s most populous province, killing 162.  

The President visited the epicentre of the quake, the town of Cianjur in West Java province, and ordered rescue teams to prioritise saving people trapped under rubble and to urgently access areas blocked off by landslides.

The National Disaster Mitigation Agency (BNPB) reported on November 22 that the death toll from the earthquake near Cianjur regency, West Java has risen to 103, with 25 people still missing.

Local disaster mitigation agencies are still gathering data on the victims, the extent of the damage and the urgent needs of those affected.

The epicentre of the shallow earthquake was located near Cianjur. Falling buildings and landslides triggered by the seismic event were responsible for most of the deaths in the area. The main quake has been followed by at least 118 smaller aftershocks with magnitudes ranging from 1.5 to 4.2. Search and rescue operations have been hampered by severed road links and lost power in parts of the largely rural, mountainous region.

The regency administration has declared a state of emergency for the next 30 days./.