President Muhammadu Buhari on Tuesday sent condolences to the government of Indonesia following the tragic earthquake which claimed scores of lives in the country.
The Nigerian leader described the event as the deadliest this year as he prayed for the early recovery of those who survived the incident with degrees of injuries.
Naija News reports that President Buhari expressed his concerns about the incident in a condolence message issued on Tuesday through his spokesman, Mallam Garba Shehu.
The number one citizen of Nigeria joined the international community to mourn the demise of the over 160 people who reportedly died in the incident.
The statement reads: “On behalf of the people of Nigeria, I convey our deep condolences to the government and people of Indonesia on the sad episode of this earthquake, the deadliest this year, and give the strong assurance that we stand with you in this very difficult period.
“We join you in prayers for the dead and the early recovery of the injured victims.”
Reports had emerged earlier that a deadly 5.6 magnitude earthquake rocked the Island of Java, Indonesia, on Monday, November 21, 2022.
It was said that at least 40 people died from the incident and scores of people were injured.
According to the United States Geological Survey, the quake centred in the Cianjur region of West Java but felt as far away as the Indonesian capital, Jakarta, leaving thousands of buildings destroyed by the landslide.
A spokesman for the local administration in Cianjur town, Adam confirmed that dozens of people have been killed in the tragic incident.
He said: “There have been dozens of people killed. So far, 44 people have died”
A government official from Cianjur, Herman Suherman, told newsmen that about 20 people were killed and 300 more injured.
He added that most of the victims had fractures from being trapped by the ruins of buildings and there are families in the village that have not been evacuated.
He said: “The information I got for now, in this hospital alone, nearly 20 died and at least 300 people are being treated.
“Most of them had fractures from being trapped by the ruins of buildings.
“We are currently handling people who are in an emergency state in this hospital. The ambulances keep on coming from the villages to the hospital.
“There are many families in villages that have not been evacuated.”
A subsequent update on the incident, however, revealed that the casualties surged to 160 and that at least 2,200 houses were damaged and 13,000 displaced in the country’s West Java province.