Powerful quake, tsunami kill at least 48 in central Indonesia
At least 48 people were killed and 356 others injured as strong earthquakes and ensuing tsunami rattled Indonensia's Central Sulawesi province on Friday, a disaster agency official said on Saturday.
Three shallow quakes of 6.0, 7.4 and 6.1 magnitude struck off the central province and triggered a tsunami of 0.5 to 3 meters in coastal areas near Talisa beach of Dongala district, and bay city of Palu, the provincial capital, the meteorology and geophysics agency said.
All victims have been rushed to hospitals, spokesman of the national disaster management agency Sutopo Purwo Nugroho said.
The spokesman said the casualties were only counted in Palu, the provincial capital of Central Sulawesi, and the victims in Donggala district including the coastal areas near Talisa beach were not included in the figure.
"Accordingly, the death toll and injuries as well as the damage will likely to climb," he told a press conference.
Most victims of the powerful 7.4-magnitude quake, Sutopo said, were hit by debris and falling blocks of concretes.
A tsunami triggered by the quake devastated buildings and residential areas in the coastal areas, he said, adding that the specific damage was still unknown as the risk assessment was underway.
Earlier, local media quoted hospital staff as saying that at least 30 people were killed in the earthquake and tsunami hitting Palu.
Soldiers, police, disaster management agency personnel and volunteers were evacuating the quake and tsunami victims, said spokesman Sutopo.
Power outage has cut off local communications which is hampering the relief efforts.
Your Comment
Name E-mailRelated News
-
-
7-magnitude quake hits Kermadec Islands: CENC
A 7-magnitude earthquake hit the Kermadec Islands, New Zealand at 12:18 p.m. Monday (Beijing Time), according to the China Earthquake Networks Center (CENC).
-
-
Magnitude 6.7 earthquake, aftershocks rock Japan's Hokkaido
An earthquake with a preliminary magnitude of 6.7 and a number of aftershocks rocked Japan's Hokkaido prefecture, Japan Meteorological Agency (JMA) said, with one person found with no vital signs.
-
-
5.0-magnitude quake hits southwest China
A 5.0-magnitude earthquake jolted Tonghai County in the city of Yuxi, southwest China's Yunnan Province, at 1:44 a.m. Monday, according to the China Earthquake Networks Center.
-
-
12 killed in ferry capsizal in C. Indonesia
At least 12 people died after a ferry carrying over 139 passengers went down in waters off Bulukumba district of Indonesia's South Sulawesi province on Tuesday, officials said.
-
-
At least 1 killed, dozens missing after boat capsizes in Indonesia
At least one person was killed and dozens missing after a boat capsized in Lake Toba of North Sumatra province in western Indonesia on Monday, said a spokesman of the National Disaster Management Agency.