PM Modi "Saddened By Loss Of Lives" Due To Earthquake In Indonesia

Prime Minister Narendra Modi today expressed grief over the loss of lives and damage to property from the earthquake that jolted the Indonesian island of Java.

"Saddened by the loss of lives and damage to property from the earthquake in Indonesia. Deepest condolences to the victims and their families. Wish a speedy recovery to the injured. India stands with Indonesia in this hour of grief," PM Modi tweeted.

At least 162 people died in a powerful earthquake that rattled Indonesia's main island of Java on Monday. The rescuers are searching for survivors trapped under the rubble amid a series of aftershocks, Al Jazeera reported.

The epicenter of the 5.6 magnitude earthquake was near the town of Cianjur in mountainous West Java, about 75km (45 miles) southeast of the capital, Jakarta. The region is home to over 2.5 million people.

The tremors destroyed many buildings and were felt in Cianjur in West Java at a depth of 10 km. Hundreds of buildings were damaged, including an Islamic boarding school, a hospital, and other public facilities.

The toll is expected to rise further, but no estimates were immediately available. The residents of Cianjur live mostly in towns of single and two-storey buildings and in smaller homes in the surrounding countryside, Al Jazeera reported.

Many of the dead were public school students who had finished their classes for the day and were taking extra lessons at several Islamic schools when they collapsed, West Java Governor Ridwan Kamil said as he announced the new death toll in the remote area.

Kamil said that more than 13,000 people whose homes were heavily damaged were taken to evacuation centres. He said on his Instagram page that 326 others have been injured, reported Al Jazeera.

"So many buildings crumbled and shattered," Kamil told reporters. "There are residents trapped in isolated places ... so we are under the assumption that the number of injured and deaths will rise with time."

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)