A magnitude 6.2 earthquake shook the northwestern coast of Indonesia’s Sulawesi island early Friday. At least 35 people have been killed, homes destroyed, a hospital razed and landslides reported, disaster officials said.
Rescuers searched for people trapped in the rubble. More than 600 people were allegedly injured in the earthquake that struck the interior between the coastal cities of Mamuju and Majene. No tsunami alert was issued.
“I am afraid to say how many deaths,” said Ardiansyah, an emergency officer from the province of Western Sulawesi, who, like many Indonesians, uses one name. “We are still evacuating and setting up shelters. Many people were buried under the ruins. ”
Darno Majid, head of the disaster relief agency of the Western Sulawesi province, reported on Friday afternoon that at least 35 people had died in the earthquake. Local disaster officials said most of the deaths occurred in Mamuju, the larger of the two coastal cities.
Disaster officials said they expected the number of deaths and injuries due to the quake to increase on Friday as they received information from cut-off areas. At least one bridge was destroyed, roads were damaged and communications were restricted. The provincial governors’ office in Mamuju was also damaged.
A video released by the Indonesian Disaster Management Agency shows a girl only identified as Angel trapped in the ruins of her family’s home. Only her face is visible through a gap in the rubble. At least three others were trapped in the house with her, officials said.
In the video, she tells rescuers that she can hear the voice of another girl who is trapped in the area and cannot move.
A rescuer asks, “Is she still breathing?”
Angel replies: “Still. But it’s hard. ”
In Mamuju, Mitra Hospital collapsed in the earthquake. Officials said at least five nurses and patients were trapped in it. Mamuju Government Hospital was also badly damaged, officials said. It was unclear if anyone was killed in one of the hospitals.
The air traffic control tower at Mamuju Commercial Airport was damaged in the earthquake and flight control duties were taken over by the air navigation office in Makassar, south of Mamuju.
Authorities have warned the public to avoid buildings due to the possibility of another strong earthquake. Thousands of people take refuge in shelters.
Six temples of magnitude 2.9 and above were recorded in the twelve hours before the great earthquake occurred at 02:28 local time. Nine aftershocks were recorded in the hours that followed.
Indonesia sits on the so-called Ring of Fire, a line of seismic and volcanic activity that surrounds much of the Pacific Ocean and is highly susceptible to earthquakes and tsunamis. In 2018, hundreds of people were killed in an earthquake on the island of Lombok, and an earthquake and tsunami caused by the eruption of the volcano Anak Krakatau killed hundreds more people on Java and Sumatra islands.
Muktita Suhartono reported.