Rescuers search for victims at the ruin of a building flattened during an earthquake in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Saturday, Jan. 16, 2021. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)
A 6.2-magnitude earthquake rocked Indonesia's Sulawesi Island early on Friday morning (Jan 15) leaving at least 81 killed.
- The epicentre of the quake was 6km northeast of the city of Majene, at a depth of 10km.
- AP reported that most of the deaths were in the hardest hit of Mamaju with 70 people dead while another 11 were in Majene.
- About 27,850 survivors were moved to temporary shelters while nearly 800 people were injured.
- There are still many people trapped in the rubbles with at least 18 people having been pulled out alive.
- Early reports by the Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) found the earthquake damaging several facilities including a hotel, two health facilities and two government offices. The National Disaster Mitigation recorded at least 1,150 houses in Majene were damaged.
- The Indonesian authorities on Friday warned that a stronger earthquake could likely occur and trigger a tsunami in West Sulawesi.
- In 2018, Sulawesi was hit with a devastating 7.5 magnitude quake which triggered a tsunami in the city of Palu, killing 4,845 people and destroying more than 100,000 homes.
- Many have offered their support and condolences to the people of Indonesia, including Pope Francis who offered his heartfelt prayers and solidarity via telegram to all those affected by the disaster.
Only 18 days into the new year, Indonesia has suffered from a deadly earthquake, the loss of its airline, Sriwijaya air Boeing 737 with 62 people on board, and more recently the eruption of Mount Semeru volcano in the island of Java, Indonesia.
