A magnitude 7.0 Earthquake Strikes West Java

A magnitude of 7.0 earthquake killed at least 32 people and forced thousands to evacuate on Indonesia's main island of Java on Wednesday, September 02, 2009 at 02:55:01 PM local time. The death toll was expected to rise . Over 3,586 homes were damaged. The epicenter of the quake was 195km south of Jakarta and 95km south of Bandung city in the position of 7.778°S, 107.328°E with the uncertainty of horizontal +/- 6.6 km (4.1 miles); depth +/- 12.3 km (7.6 miles).

The 7.0 magnitude quake, as recorded by the U.S. Geological Survey, shook buildings in the capital Jakarta and flattened homes in villages closer to the epicenter in West Java. The quake was felt over roughly half of Java Island. In the capital, Jakarta, 120 miles (190 kilometers) from the epicenter, office workers ran onto the streets. A tsunami warning was issued after the quake struck, but revoked an hour later.

The worst report of fatalities was from a village in Cianjur district, where about 30 people were still believed trapped under rocks and dirt after a landslide triggered by the tremor buried their homes.

Update: on Thursday (September3, 2009 afternoon) the government report that the total casualties in the entire West Java Province reaches the number of 54, 147 peoples wounded and 10.000 evacuated. The construction damaged includes 34 homes totally destroyed, 11.000 heavily destroyed and light damage on 15.000 houses.