Death toll in Indonesia’s quake hits 268 as search continues

The death toll in the 5.6 magnitude earthquake that hit Indonesia’s main island of Java on Monday has risen to 268 as rescuers continue the search for victims trapped in the rubble.

The country’s National Agency for Disaster Management (BNPB) had late Tuesday put the number of people injured in the powerful earthquake that toppled homes and buildings in the highly populated area at over 1,000 while as many as 151 people are still missing.

The earthquake hit the Cianjur region in West Java at 1:21 p.m. local time on Monday at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey (USGS).

READ ALSO: 46 confirmed killed, 700 injured, as 5.6 magnitude earthquake rocks Indonesia

The Head of BNPB, Maj. Gen. Suharyanto, said more than 22,000 homes had been destroyed and 58,000 people displaced in the disaster.

“The majority of those who died were children,” West Java’s governor, Ridwan Kamil, told journalists at a press conference, adding that the death toll was likely to increase further.

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