The island continues to be rocked by aftershocks, including a 5.0 magnitude earthquake early on Saturday, with officials warning that more are expected.
Officials from the Indonesian Meteorological, Climatology and Geophysical Agency are being sent to the island to monitor seismic activity, the agency’s head, Daryono, who uses only one name, told CNN.
“This area is really fragile and risky in terms of earthquakes and tsunamis,” he said.
Thirty-seven people died in Friday’s earthquake in the city of Mamuju, north of the epicenter, while nine others were killed in Majene, a city about 200 kilometers (125 miles) south of Mamuju. Thousands of residents fled their homes in search of security, but many are still trapped under collapsed buildings, according to local search and rescue teams.
At least 189 people were seriously injured and another 637 suffered minor injuries, said Raditya Jati, of the Indonesian National Disaster Management Council. The earthquake also caused a power outage and caused three landslides along the main road that connects Majene and Mamuju.
Rescue efforts
Ariyanto Ardi, head of section for the local disaster management department, said the teams are now working to free people trapped under collapsed buildings in various locations in Mamuju – including two hotels and a hospital. “People reporting that their family members are trapped under collapsed houses and asking for our help,” he told CNN.
“We do not yet have details of how many people are buried under these destroyed buildings,” he added.
A woman – who gave her name as Angel – was released from the rubble on Friday and taken to the hospital, Ardi said.
The earthquake created an additional headache for a nation already battling a serious coronavirus outbreak, with more than 882,000 cases of Covid-19 reported across the country and at least 25,000 related deaths.
Dr. Indahwati Nursyamsi, director of West Sulawesi Central Hospital, told CNN that 19 severely injured patients from Covid-19 hospital were transferred to a local mosque to keep them separated from those injured in the earthquake.
The hospital also erected a large tent and tarp to accommodate the displaced or fearful of returning home, she said on Friday.
Occupying the so-called “ring of fire” in the Pacific, Indonesia – a nation with high tectonic activity – is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a magnitude 6.2 earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi, killing thousands.
CNN’s Nectar Gan contributed to this report.