On Monday, a strong earthquake struck Indonesia’s main island, Java, leaving at least 162 people dead and hundreds injured.
The epicenter of the magnitude 5.6 earthquake was not far from Cianjur, one of Indonesia’s most disaster-prone areas. Landslides prevented many people from reaching the city’s main hospital, and a number of buildings were destroyed.
“Buildings were completely flattened,” said Dwi Sarmadi, an employee at an educational foundation in a neighboring district.
Some of the terrified citizens were covered in blood and debris as they fled into the street, the New York Times (NYT) reported.
Emergency personnel and others searched for anyone trapped in the rubble and debris throughout the night. In search of signs of life, some used only their hands.
Furthermore, rescuers were seen on television footage unable to reach victims because they lacked the equipment to search through and clear debris.
Herman Suherman, a government official in Cianjur, said the hospital’s physical damage and loss of electricity hampered rescue efforts.
“This is overwhelming,” said Suherman, adding hospitals desperately need more doctors to treat the flood of injuries and restore power.
Outside primary hospitals and in parking lots and open areas, emergency personnel attended to the injured on stretchers. Many were given oxygen masks and were receiving intravenous care, including children.
The government set up tents outside the damaged hospital to house and treat injured survivors. Due to some roads being blocked by landslides, making it difficult for ambulances and other vehicles to pass, many people arrived on motorbikes.
The regional governor, Ridwan Kamil, suggested many victims were young people attending public schools who had just finished their day’s classes.
Because they were inside while the men were at work outside, women and children made up the majority of the victims, and the earthquake separated numerous family members.
As more victims arrived, emergency personnel prioritized those who needed immediate medical attention. The hospital and the surrounding tent areas, according to Kamil, were both fully occupied.
