Indonesian earthquake death toll rises to 78

At least 78 people have been killed after an earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Sulawesi province on Friday, the search and rescue agency (Basarnas) said on Sunday, the latest in a string of disasters to hit the southeast Asian country.

In a statement, Basarnas confirmed 78 had died, 67 of whom were from the district of Mamuju and the rest from the district of Majene in West Sulawesi.

More than 740 people were injured and more than 27,800 left their homes after the 6.2 magnitude quake, the country’s disaster mitigation agency (BNPB) said in a situation report. Some sought refuge in the mountains, while others went to cramped evacuation centres, witnesses said.

Police and military officers have been deployed to crack down on looting in several parts of the region, BNPB spokesman Raditya Jati said.

Mahatma Gandhi’s killer rehabilitated by India’s Hindu nationalists

---

Coronavirus: Pakistan approves use of Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine

---

Covid-19: England’s lockdown to continue until March, says Raab

---

Gunmen kill two female supreme court judges in Afghanistan

---

An emergency response status, intended to help rescue efforts, has also been put in place for two weeks, Mr Raditya said.

Dwikorita Karnawati, the head of Indonesia’s meteorological, climatology and geophysical agency (BMKG), has said that another quake in the region could potentially trigger a tsunami.

Floods and landslides

Straddling the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, Indonesia is regularly hit by earthquakes. In 2018, a devastating 7.5 magnitude quake and subsequent tsunami struck the city of Palu, in Sulawesi, killing thousands.

Just two weeks into the new year, the world’s fourth-most populous country is battling several disasters.

Floods in South Kalimantan and North Sulawesi have respectively killed at least 15 and five this month, while landslides in West Java province have killed at least 32, authorities said.

East Java’s Semeru mountain erupted late on Saturday, but there have been no reports of casualties or evacuations. – Reuters