Jakarta: The death toll from a 6.7-magnitude earthquake that struck Indonesia’s Central Sulawesi province on Tuesday has risen to three, with 17 people seriously injured, the National Disaster Management Agency (BNPB) said Thursday.
The BNPB also said that 91 people were wounded with minor injuries, while 6,412 people were affected by the disaster. Sigi regency was the worst-hit area, with damage reported in several villages, Xinhua news agency reported.
The tectonic earthquake struck on Tuesday at 11:27 a.m. local time, with its epicentre located on land about 42 km southeast of Palu City at a depth of 10 km. The earthquake did not trigger a tsunami.
The government has provided emergency supplies, including tents, food packages, mattresses and blankets, while rescue teams continue assessment and relief operations.
The province has been under a disaster emergency status since Wednesday after a 6.7-magnitude earthquake killed one person, injured 79 others and affected more than 6,400 residents, the BNPB said Thursday.
The emergency status will remain in effect until June 23 to speed up response efforts after Tuesday’s quake, which affected 2,012 households, mostly in Sigi regency.
Authorities have recorded at least 13 aftershocks so far and urged residents to avoid damaged buildings until they are declared safe.
Earlier this month, BNPB urged the evacuation of residents to higher ground in northern coastal areas of the country threatened by tsunami waves following a powerful 7.8-magnitude earthquake in the southern Philippines.
Minor tsunami waves were detected at several coastal monitoring stations in northern Indonesia, the BNPB said in a statement on June 8. Given the aftershocks following the strong quake, the agency has urged officials in affected provinces such as North Sulawesi and Gorontalo to immediately direct residents to remain vigilant, stay away from the shores, and evacuate to higher ground in an orderly manner.
The powerful earthquake in the Philippines has caused panic among residents in some coastal areas of northeastern Indonesia.
(IANS)
