On Monday night, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake hit the Indonesian province of West Java, with the official death toll at 162.
Ridwan Kamil, the governor of West Java, said 13,400 people have been displaced, with 2,345 houses heavily damaged.
A video Kamil posted on his official Facebook page shows injured people lying in the streets as they begin recovery efforts.
Other videos and photos posted to social media depict rubble of buildings of the densely populated area of Cianjur, where the earthquake occurred.
Minister for foreign affairs Penny Wong took to Twitter to express her condolences towards the people of Indonesia.
“We send our deepest condolences to the people of Indonesia over the tragic loss of life and destruction of property,” Wong said.
Devastating scenes in Indonesia’s West Java province following a 5.6 magnitude earthquake.
We send our deepest condolences to the people of Indonesia over the tragic loss of life and destruction of property.
Our thoughts are with them and the Australian-Indonesian community.
— Senator Penny Wong (@SenatorWong) November 21, 2022
Rescue operations are underway, with Indonesian disaster agency BNPB dispatching a team to assist with recovery efforts.
Reports from the disaster zone have said a large number of the casualties are children, with fears the death toll will rise.
According to Indonesia’s meterological agency BMFG, the earthquake had a depth of 10km. Aftershocks are also expected to occur.
The Australian ambassador to Indonesia, Penny Williams, also took to Twitter to state the earthquake had damaged infrastructure and will possibly lead to landslides.
“Australians in Indonesia should follow the advice of local authorities and avoid the area,” Williams said.
Canadian prime minister Justin Trudeau expressed his own condolences to Indonesia, saying his heart goes out to those affected.
“I’m thinking of all those whose lives have been changed forever. Canada stands ready to help in any way we can,” Trudeau tweeted.
The region affected is roughly 1,500 kilometres northwest of Australia. As of Monday 9pm, the Bureau of Meterology said there was no tsunami threat to Australia.
