Hunt for buried survivors after Indonesia quake kills 162

CIANJUR - Rescuers searched for survivors buried under rubble after a strong earthquake on Indonesia's main island of Java killed 162 people, injured hundreds and left more feared trapped in collapsed buildings.

The epicentre of the shallow 5.6-magnitude quake on Monday was near the town of Cianjur in Indonesia's most populous province West Java, where most of the victims were killed when buildings fell and landslides were triggered.

Some of the dead were students at an Islamic boarding school while others were killed in their own homes when roofs and walls fell in on them.

READ: Shallow quake kills 162, injures hundreds on Indonesia's Java island

"The room collapsed and my legs were buried under the rubble. It all happened so fast," 14-year-old student Aprizal Mulyadi told AFP.

He said was pulled to safety by his friend, Zulfikar, who later died after getting trapped under rubble.

"I was devastated to see him like that, but I could not help him because my legs and back were injured," he said.

The search operation was made more challenging because of severed road links and power supply in parts of the largely rural, mountainous region.

On Tuesday, dozens of rescuers used heavy machinery in Cugenang village to try and clear the road to Cianjur, which was cut off by a landslide.

As the bodybags emerged from crumpled buildings, the focus turned to the missing and any survivors under the debris.

READ: More than 40 dead, hundreds injured in Indonesia quake

Indonesia's national disaster mitigation agency, or BNPB, said at least 25 people were still buried under the rubble in Cianjur as darkness fell on Monday.

Those who survived camped outside in near-total darkness surrounded by fallen debris, shattered glass and big chunks of concrete.

The disaster mitigation agency said more than 2,000 houses were damaged and West Java governor Ridwan Kamil said more than 13,000 people were taken to evacuation centres.