An earthquake in Indonesia leaves at least 3 dead and 200 injured

Jakarta, Indonesia – A magnitude 6.2 earthquake struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi shortly after midnight on Friday, killing at least three people and injuring several hundred others.

In a video released by the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, a girl trapped in the rubble of a house called for help and said her mother was alive but could not get out. “Help me please, it hurts,” the lifeguard girl told them.

In the video, the first respondents said that an excavator was needed to save them. Another image in the video showed a dislocated bridge, as well as damaged or destroyed houses. Television stations reported that the quake affected part of a hospital and that patients were transferred to emergency tents located outside.

Another video showed a man shouting for people to help him save his children buried under tons of rubble at home. “My children there … are trapped inside, please help me,” he shouted.

Thousands of people were taken to various temporary shelters. The quake had its epicenter 36 kilometers south of Mamuju district in West Sulawesi province, and a depth of 18 kilometers (11 miles), according to the United States Geological Survey.

Three people died in their sleep when their homes were destroyed by the earthquake, said Sirajuddin, director of the disaster relief agency in the Majene district. He added that at least 218 people were reported injured and that about 300 buildings had been damaged, including a hospital, clinics, hotels and offices.

In the neighboring Mamuju neighborhood, damage was reported to at least 62 houses, a public health center and a military office, as well as landslides that obstructed the main road linking Mamuju to Majene, said Raditya Jati, a spokeswoman. of the disaster agency. The agency continues to collect information from affected areas, he added.

On Thursday, an underwater earthquake with a magnitude of 5.9 hit the same region, affecting several homes, apparently without claiming any victims.

Indonesia, a vast archipelago of 260 million people, is frequently affected by earthquakes, volcanic eruptions and tsunamis because it is located in the Pacific Ring of Fire.