Indonesia earthquake kills more than 160

At least 162 people were killed, many of them children, and hundreds of others were injured Monday in a 5.6-magnitude earthquake on Indonesia’s largest island.

The afternoon quake flattened buildings, overwhelmed hospitals with victims and shook several cities in West Java Province.

More than 2,200 houses were damaged, forcing rescuers to dug people from rubble, and 13,000 individuals were displaced, officials said. The U.S. Geological Survey said the temblor was located just 6 miles underground, which made it more intense.

Among the dead were students at local public schools who had finished for the day and were taking extra classes at Islamic schools that collapsed in the remote, rural area, said West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil.

Hardest hit was the city of Cianjur, located in the mountainous district of the same name. Neighboring cities Sukabumi and Bandung also shook, while high-rises swayed in Jakarta.

“The majority who died were hit by buildings. Some were hit on the head,” Herman Suherman, head of the Cianjur regency, was quoted as saying by the Washington Post. “All you can hear here is ambulance sirens everywhere.”

With News Wire Services