Indonesia earthquake: Rain, landslides disrupt rescue effort

Rescue and relief operations geared towards the victims of Indonesia's Monday earthquake have been continuously disrupted due to rainfall, landslides and aftershocks.

The 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the mountainous town of Cianjur, some 75km (45 miles) south of Jakarta, killing 271 people, a third of whom are believed to be children. Over 2000 more were injured, while 40 still remain missing.

Rescue operations ongoing since Monday have faced several disruptions due to heavy rainfall, which threatens to cause further landslides.

Indonesian authorities recorded 171 aftershocks to the earthquake by Wednesday.

Though the earthquake's magnitude was moderate, the high death toll and amount of devastation is owed to the densely populated region it struck on the island of Java. Poorly constructed buildings were also a culprit in the high casualty rate.

The National Disaster Migration Agency (BNPB) said over 61,000 have been displaced by the quake.

Trapped in rubble

Henri Alfiandi, chief of the search and rescue agency, acknowledged the authorities' delay in rescue efforts. He pointed to the aftershocks, which he said could trigger further landslides.

Chances of survival after spending three days in rubble were slim, Henri told the Reuters news agency.

"Because the quake was quite strong and raining, we feared there would be landslides. But we have continued the evacuation process now," he added.

Aid and reinforcements

Rescue teams were unable to reach two villages by road due to the scale of destruction. Henri said aid would instead be airdropped onto the villages.

Authorities deployed over 12,000 military personnel on Wednesday, to aid with the rescue efforts in some dozen villages where residents remain trapped in rubble.

In a press conference on Wednesday, BNPB chief Suharyanto said the quake damaged over 56,000 houses in Cianjur. He added that thousands of now homeless people who fled to temporary shelters were receiving aid.

"For the refugees... their basic life necessities must be guaranteed — water, food, that's non-negotiable," Suharyanto said.

Cianjur, a city of roughly 175,000 people, is located in a mountainous district of the same name with over 2.5 million inhabitants. The town is known for having a large number of mosques and Islamic boarding schools.

Indonesia, country of 270 million, is situated on the so-called "Ring of Fire" and is frequently struck by quakes and volcanic eruptions.

rmt/dj (AFP, AP, Reuters)