A relative holds hand of a wounded woman at a temporary shelter after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Jan. 15, 2021. The number of casualties in Indonesia's 6.2-magnitude quake that jolted West Sulawesi province on Friday rose to 42 with hundreds of people wounded, an official and two top rescuers said. (Photo by Opan/Xinhua)
JAKARTA, Jan. 15 (Xinhua) -- The number of casualties in Indonesia's 6.2-magnitude quake that jolted West Sulawesi province on Friday rose to 42 with hundreds of people wounded, an official and two top rescuers said.
More than 10,000 people were forced to evacuate as the quake destroyed houses, office buildings, hotels, hospitals and shopping malls in Mamuju city and Majene district, the National Search and Rescue Agency's Head Bagus Puruhito said.
The National Disaster Management Agency's Spokesman Raditya Jati said that 34 people were killed in Mamuju city and eight in Majene district.
The official told Xinhua in a text message that the jolts also damaged the sea port and a bridge in the province, citing that 300 houses were destroyed in Majene district.
President Joko Widodo ordered the head of the disaster agency, police chief and military commander to immediately take emergency steps to search for victims and treat those who were injured in the quake.
Emergency relief aids have also been sent to the quake-affected area, Jati said.
Operation Head of the Search and Rescue Office in South Sulawesi province Muhammad Rizal, whose four teams of rescuers are being involved in the evacuation process, said that more than 400 people suffered injuries in the natural disaster.
"A total of 189 people suffered serious wounds and 214 others got minor injuries in Majene district, still the figures about the wounded persons in Mamuju city have not been reached yet," Rizal told Xinhua.
More units of heavy machinery equipment are badly needed to remove the rubbles, according to him.
Meanwhile, the Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency's Head Dwikorita Karnawati on Friday warned of the possibility of another strong quake and a tsunami.
"The structures of the materials and rocks under the earth are unstable or weak after 28 times of tremors, and these may cause an underwater landslide and trigger a tsunami," Karnawati said.
She recommended that people immediately stay away from the coast when another strong quake takes place as a tsunami may hit within two to three minutes after the quake. Enditem
