TENS OF HOUSES DAMAGED BY TASIKMALAYA QUAKE

Sukabumi, W Java, Sept 02 (ANTARA) - Tens of houses in two sub-districts of Sukabumi district sustained damage by the earthquake whose epicenter was located in Tasikmalaya, West Java, on Wednesday.

ANTARA learned, dozens of houses in the subdristrict of Pelabuhanratu and Simpenan were damaged, some badly and others lightly, in the magnitude-7.3 temblor. Several mosques in the subdistrict of Pelabuhanratu were also affected.

Dozens of villagers were injured by debris from their quake-stricken homes.

"When the quake happened, most villagers were in their homes. They immediately fled when the quake struck. Houses that could not stand the tremor were damaged," one of the villagers in Simpenan subdistrict, Ujang Nata, told ANTARA.

He said as many people were in their homes when the quake struck a lot had been hit by falling debris in their stricken houses. "Luckily, no one was killed," he said.

Fellow villager Budi said the kitchen of his house was damaged. When the quake hit, he was with his two children in front of his house. "Upon knowing it was a quake, I ran to save my children and after the tremor was gone, I checked and found our kitchen in ruins," he said.

He said fortunately nobody was killed in the quake but some people had been injured.

The quake was also strongly felt in the capital city Jakarta. Employees in high-rise buildings in the city ran out of the buildings, fearing the structures would collapse.