Hundreds of houses damaged as shallow quake hits Indonesia

At least 343 houses have been damaged and three people have been injured after a 4.8 magnitude quake jolted Bogor district of West Java earlier Sunday, officials said. The quake struck at 01:27 a.m. Jakarta time on Sunday (18:27 GMT Saturday) with the epicenter at 31 km southwest Bogor district and with a depth of 10 km, an official of the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency told Xinhua by phone. Head of Disaster Management and Mitigation Agency of West Java Udjwalaprana Sigit said that quake had damaged houses and religious buildings in Cibunian, Purwabakti and Ciasmara villages of Pamijahan subdistrict. He said that the quake left 54 houses with serious damages, 71 others with moderate damages and 218 with light damages. Besides, five religious buildings and two schools' buildings were damaged in the subdistrict, Sigit told Xinhua by phone from West Java. Assessment of the impact of the quake had been hampered by heavy rain and electricity black out and would be continued on Monday, he said. As many as 63 people fled homes and took shelters at their relatives houses, said Sigit. Relief emergency aids, including foods, blankets and hygiene kits, were heading to the quake-hit areas, he said. Indonesia is vulnerable to earthquake as it sits on the quake- hit zone called "the Pacific Ring of Fire".