From the powerful earthquake that hit the western part of Java in Indonesia today, the number of people who have lost their lives is increasing.
The rescue teams are continuing the search and rescue operation of those who are suspected to have been trapped under the ruins of the collapsed buildings.
So far, 162 people have been confirmed to have lost their lives and 700 others have been injured, in the earthquake that had a destructive power of 5.6 on the Richter scale.
The epicenter of the earthquake was near the city of Cianur in the western part of Java, about 75 kilometers from the capital – Jakarta.
2.5 million people live in this region, and authorities say that many homes have been left without electricity, which has made it difficult to communicate and continue the search and rescue operation.
Indonesia is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, an extremely seismically active area where tectonic plates collide and cause earthquakes and the activation of numerous volcanoes.