A magnitude 6.2 earthquake kills at least 46 people in Indonesia

Indonesia – Damage to roads and bridges, disruptions and lack of equipment prevented rescuers on Saturday after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Celebes, killing at least 46 people and injuring hundreds more.

The operations focused on about eight sites in the town of Mamuju, which was hardest hit and where people were thought to be still trapped after Friday’s quake, said Saidar Rahmanjaya, who heads the local search and rescue agency.

Freight planes carrying food, tents, blankets and other supplies from Jakarta landed late Friday to distribute supplies to temporary shelters. However, thousands of people spent the night outdoors, fearing aftershocks and a possible tsunami.

Raditya Jati, a spokeswoman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said rescuers had recovered the bodies of 37 victims from Mamuju and nine others in Majene district.

At least 415 houses were damaged in Majene and about 15,000 people were transferred to shelters, Jati said.

The bodies recovered by rescuers were sent to a police hospital for identification by their families, said Syamsi Ridwan, a West Sulawesi police spokesman.

He added that more than 200 people were being treated at Bhayangkara Police Hospital and several others in Mamuju. Another 630 people were injured in Majene.

The quake triggered landslides in three places and blocked a main road linking Mamuju to Majene. Power and telephone lines have been cut off in several areas.