The island is still plagued by aftershocks, including an earthquake early Saturday, with authorities warning that more is expected.
Officials from the Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysical Agency in Indonesia are being sent to the island to monitor seismic activity, Daryono, head of the agency, which uses only one name, told CNN.
“This area is really fragile and risky in terms of earthquakes and tsunamis,” he said.
Thirty-seven people were killed in Friday’s earthquake in the city of Mamuju, north of the epicenter, while another nine were killed in Majene, a city about 200 kilometers south of Mamuju. Thousands of residents fled their homes to seek safety, but according to local search and rescue teams, many were still trapped under collapsed buildings.
At least 189 people were seriously injured and another 637 sustained minor injuries, said Raditya Jati, of the National Disaster Management Council of Indonesia. The quake also caused a power outage and caused three landslides along the highway connecting Majene and Mamuju.
Rescue efforts
Ariyanto Ardi, head of the local disaster management department, said teams were now working to free people trapped under various buildings in various locations in Mamuju – including two hotels and a hospital. “People who report that their family members are trapped under collapsing homes are asking for our help,” he told CNN.
“We do not yet have details on how many people are buried under the flat buildings,” he added.
One woman – who called her name Angel – was freed from the rubble on Friday and taken to hospital, Ardi said.
The quake created an additional headache for a country already facing a severe coronavirus outbreak, with more than 882,000 reported Covid-19 cases nationwide and at least 25,000 related deaths.
Dr Indahwati Nursyamsi, director of West Sulawesi Central Hospital, told CNN the 19 serious Covid-19 patients in the hospital were moved to a local mosque to keep them from the injured in the earthquake.
The hospital has also set up a large tent and tarpaulin to house those who are displaced or too scared to return to their homes, she said Friday.
Across the so-called Pacific ‘Ring of Fire’, Indonesia – a country with high tectonic activity – is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi, killing thousands.
CNN’s Nectar Gan contributed to this report.