Strong quake claims 37 in Indonesia
Jakarta/At least 37 people were killed and nearly 650 injured when a strong quake measuring 6.2 on the Richter scale struck Indonesia’s Sulawesi island on Friday morning.
The earthquake which hit at 0228 hrs (local time), with an epicenter at 6 km northeast of Majene, and a depth of 10 km, caused massive damage to hundreds of buildings in West Sulawesi.
“Nine people died in Majene district, and 28 others in Mamuju district, bringing the total death toll to 37,” an official from the West Sulawesi Provincial Disaster Management Agency said.
As several buildings were leveled to the ground including a hospital, authorities believe that there may be several people trapped under the rubble and casualties and fatalities are bound to rise. The hospital that collapsed was housing 20 patients and staff. The earthquake set panic among the island dwellers as they feared a Tsunami.
Earlier too in 2018, Sulawesi was hit by a massive earthquake that killed thousands of residents.