AFTERSHOCKS HIT SULAWESI AS INDONESIA QUAKE TOLL MOUNTS
▶ Rescuers pull dozens of bodies from debris of crumpled buildings in worst-hit city of Mamuju
Rescuers scrambled to find buried survivors yesterday after a powerful earthquake on Indonesia’s Sulawesi island killed dozens.
Many more are feared to be trapped in the rubble of collapsed buildings.
At least 49 people died and hundreds were injured after the 6.2-magnitude quake struck in the early hours of Friday, triggering panic among residents of the island, which in 2018 was hit by a quake and tsunami that killed thousands.
A strong aftershock jolted the disaster-hit region yesterday morning.
Search and rescue teams worked through the night to pull dozens of bodies from beneath crumpled buildings in Mamuju, a city of about 110,000 people in West Sulawesi province, where a hospital was flattened and a shopping mall was left in ruins. Others were killed south of the city.
Planes and boats carrying food and other supplies arrived as thousands left homeless by the quake flocked to makeshift shelters, many little more than tarpaulin-covered tents.
“We need more equipment for the rescue effort,” said Ali Rahman, chief of the local disaster agency.
It was now focusing on two locations in the hunt for survivors, he said.
Authorities have not given a figure for the residents who could still be trapped under crushed buildings, including the hospital, which collapsed with more than a dozen patients and staff inside.
Yesterday, authorities said they had pulled eight bodies from under the building, while five members of a family of eight were found dead in the rubble of their home.
Among the Mamuju survivors was a pair of young sisters plucked from under the debris. The pair are now being treated in hospital.
Nearly 200 people were in hospital with serious injuries, local authorities said.
Pope Francis said he was saddened to learn of the quake.
“His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this natural disaster,” the Vatican said.
On Friday, residents tried to flee Mamuju in cars and motorbikes, driving past corrugated metal roofs and other building debris scattered on the roadside.
But landslides triggered by heavy rain and the earthquake blocked the main access road out of the seaside city.
The meteorological agency warned residents about strong aftershocks and to stay away from the seashore in case the tremors triggered a tsunami.
The city’s airport has been damaged, as was the regional governor’s office, authorities said.
Parts of Mamuju were without electricity after the quake damaged the electricity grid.
The Indonesian Red Cross said it was taking medical and relief supplies to the scene, with its teams working to help find trapped residents.
Save the Children issued a warning that the young were among the most at risk.
“While the extent of the earthquake damage is still unclear, we know children are often the most vulnerable following disaster,” it said. “It will be essential that children are prioritised in any response, as they may have witnessed the death of loved ones or become separated from their parents.”
The quake’s epicentre was 36 kilometres south of Mamuju and it had a relatively shallow depth of 18km.
Indonesia, a South-east Asian archipelago of nearly 270 million islands, experiences frequent seismic and volcanic activity because of its position on the Pacific “Ring of Fire”, where tectonic plates collide.
In 2018, a 7.5-magnitude quake and a tsunami in Palu on Sulawesi left more than 4,300 people dead or missing.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami. It killed 230,000 in countries with Indian Ocean coastlines, including about 170,000 in Indonesia.
We need more equipment for the rescue effort. Now, we’re focusing on two locations in the hunt for survivors
ALI RAHMAN
Chief of disaster agency in Mamuju