JACARTA – At least 73 people died after an earthquake struck western Sulawesi province in Indonesia on Friday, said the disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) on Sunday, the latest in a series of disasters that hit the country. Southeast Asia.
More than 820 people were injured and more than 27,800 left their homes after the 6.2 magnitude earthquake, said BNPB spokesman Raditya Jati. Some sought refuge in the mountains, while others went to tight evacuation centers, witnesses said.
Police and military personnel were deployed to suppress looting in various parts of the region, added Jati.
An emergency response status, designed to help rescue efforts, has also been in place for two weeks, he said.
Dwikorita Karnawati, head of Indonesia’s meteorological, climatological and geophysical agency (BMKG), said another earthquake in the region could potentially trigger a tsunami.
Occupying the so-called Pacific Circle of Fire, Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a devastating 6.2 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami hit the city of Palu in Sulawesi, killing thousands.
Just two weeks after the start of the year, the fourth most populous country in the world is battling several disasters.
Floods in North Sulawesi and South Kalimantan provinces have killed at least five each this month, while landslides in West Java province have killed at least 29, officials said.
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On January 9, a Sriwijaya Air jet crashed in the Java Sea with 62 on board.
East Java’s Semeru mountain erupted on Saturday night, but there were no reports of casualties or evacuations.
Dwikorita said that extreme weather and other hydrometeorology “multi-hazards” are expected in the coming weeks.