Quake toll tops 600 in new count

All together now: Villagers working to demolish a building that was badly damaged by the earthquake at Gasol village in Cianjur. — AFP

The death toll from an earthquake that hit Indonesia’s main island Java last month has jumped by hundreds to 602, a local administration official said, after authorities verified unreported casualties across the worst-hit town.

The shallow 5.6-magnitude earthquake hit the town of Cianjur in Indonesia’s most populous province West Java on Nov 21, with most of the victims killed as buildings collapsed or landslides were triggered.