Herman Suherman, a government official from Cianjur, the town in West Java where the epicenter of the quake was located, told news channel MetroTV that up to 20 people had died and 300 more were injured.
"This is from one hospital, there are four hospitals in Cianjur," he said, adding that it was possible the death and injury toll could rise.
The national disaster agency reported 14 deaths, Reuters reported.
Monday's quake struck on land in Cianjur, about 75 km southeast of the capital Jakarta, and at a depth of 10 km (6.2 miles), the weather and geophysics agency (BMKG) said, adding there was no potential for a tsunami.
In a statement, the national disaster agency said several homes and an Islamic boarding school in the area had been damaged, as officials continued to assess the full extent of the damage.
Footage from Metro TV showed some buildings in Cianjur reduced almost entirely to rubble as worried residents huddled outside.
Muchlis, who was in Cianjur when the quake hit, said he felt "a huge tremor" and the walls and ceiling of his office building were damaged.
MP/PR
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