On the 21st local time, a 5.6 magnitude earthquake struck West Java, Indonesia, killing 162 people and injuring hundreds. The epicenter of the earthquake is located in Zhanyu District, West Java Province, about 75 kilometers southeast of Jakarta, the capital of Indonesia. The live broadcast pictures of local Indonesian television stations showed that houses were crowded in the epicenter area of the earthquake, many houses and trees collapsed, and many landslides blocked the roads in the earthquake area. The governor of West Java said that most of the victims were children. Many people are students in public schools. When the earthquake occurred, they had finished the day's courses and were making up for it. As many as 700 people were injured, according to the Indonesian National Disaster Reduction Agency (BNPB). A construction worker receiving treatment in the hospital said that the earthquake was "very strong". He said, "I saw my friends run out of the building, but I was too late to go out and was hit." "The building was completely razed to the ground." When the earthquake occurred, Salmadi was working in the nearby area. He recalled, "I was working in the office building at that time, and the building was not damaged, but the earthquake felt very strong. Many things fell down, and my legs were hit heavily." As the clinic was overcrowded, he had to wait for treatment in a tent outside the hospital. According to the Associated Press, there are about 175000 residents in this area, and more than 13000 people's houses were damaged in the strong earthquake and forced to leave their homes for refuge. Zhanyu officials said that many victims were trapped in collapsed houses, and the number of casualties would increase with the progress of search and rescue work. The local hospital was overwhelmed by too many injured people. First aiders treat the injured on stretchers and blankets outside the hospital, in open spaces and parking lots. Hundreds of people gathered outside the hospital building waiting for treatment. At least 25 aftershocks were recorded by the Indonesian Bureau of Meteorology, Climate and Geophysics. Residents working in the Indonesian capital also felt the earthquake. "The earthquake was very strong. My colleagues and I decided to take the fire stairs to leave the office on the ninth floor." When the earthquake occurred, many residents in the Indonesian capital ran into the streets or hid under their desks. According to reports, due to its geographical location, Indonesia, with a population of more than 270 million, is often hit by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis. In January 2021, a 6.2 magnitude earthquake occurred in West Sulawesi, Indonesia, causing hundreds of casualties. The Indian Ocean tsunami in 2004 caused nearly 230000 deaths or disappearances in more than a dozen countries, most of which occurred in Indonesia. (Liu Xinshe)