Indonesian villagers searched frantically today for people buried under collapsed buildings, after a powerful quake killed at least 46 and damaged thousands of homes in the hills of West Java.
Yesterday's 7.0 magnitude earthquake sent terrified residents rushing out onto the streets of the capital, Jakarta, and in towns and villages closer to the epicentre in West Java.
Government agencies said the death toll was likely to rise, as some affected coastal areas remained out of contact.
Indonesia's main power, oil and gas, steel, and mining companies with operations in West and Central Java island closest to the quake's epicentre said they had suffered no damage.
With so many houses damaged or flattened, people in the area are camping outside, still traumatised and scared of aftershocks. Reporters saw many damaged houses as well as tents and makeshift shelters on streets and in fields.
In Cikangkareng village, South Cianjur district, about 100km south of Jakarta, the quake triggered a landslide, sending rocks cascading onto much of the village, including a mosque, a witness said.
At least 46 people were killed in West Java, and more than 18,000 houses as well as offices, mosques and other buildings were damaged, said Priyadi Kardono, spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency.
Forty-two people were listed as missing in landslides. Mr Kardono said the toll could "change significantly" given the scale of damage.
Reuters