Indonesia hunts for survivors as quake death toll hits 60 | World News - Hindustan Times
close_game
close_game

Indonesia hunts for survivors as quake death toll hits 60

AFP | , Mamuju
Jan 17, 2021 02:05 PM IST

It was unclear how many people -- dead or alive -- could be still under the debris.

A powerful earthquake on Indonesia's Sulawesi island has killed at least 60 people, authorities said Sunday, with thousands left homeless as rescuers raced to find anyone still alive under mountains of rubble more than two days after the disaster.

Members of police K-9 squad lead a sniffer dog during a search for victims at a hospital building collapsed in Friday's earthquake in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. Rescuers retrieved more bodies from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled by the 6.2 magnitude earthquake while military engineers managed to reopen ruptured roads to clear access for relief goods. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)(AP)
Members of police K-9 squad lead a sniffer dog during a search for victims at a hospital building collapsed in Friday's earthquake in Mamuju, West Sulawesi, Indonesia, Sunday, Jan. 17, 2021. Rescuers retrieved more bodies from the rubble of homes and buildings toppled by the 6.2 magnitude earthquake while military engineers managed to reopen ruptured roads to clear access for relief goods. (AP Photo/Yusuf Wahil)(AP)

But monsoon rains were challenging the search effort, as hundreds of injured overwhelmed the only local hospital still operating in the aftermath of the 6.2-magnitude quake, which struck early Friday.

Hindustan Times - your fastest source for breaking news! Read now.

The tremor triggered panic among residents of the island, which was hit by a 2018 quake-tsunami disaster that killed thousands.

Rescuers have been filling body bags with corpses hauled from beneath crumpled buildings in Mamuju, a city of 110,000 people in West Sulawesi province, where a hospital was flattened and a shopping mall lay in ruins.

Others were killed south of the city.

The death toll could still climb.

Excavators, cranes and other heavy equipment were deployed across the devastated seaside city where buildings were reduced to a tangled mass of twisted metal and chunks of concrete, including the regional governor's office.

It was unclear how many people -- dead or alive -- could be still under the debris.

"We heard a roaring sound and the house started shaking," said survivor Jumardi, 50, from a shelter where he and six family members took refuge.

"All I had in my mind was that I would die...Everyone was panicking."

Authorities have not given a figure for how many survivors have been rescued.

A pair of young sisters plucked from under the mass of concrete and other debris were treated in hospital.

Meanwhile, corpses were recovered from under a collapsed hospital, while five members of a family of eight were found dead in the crumpled remains of their home.

Running low on food, supplies

Masked doctors treated patients with broken limbs and other injuries at a makeshift medical centre set up outside the only one of the city's hospitals that survived the quake relatively intact.

Among them was Wawan, who was rescued by neighbours after the violent tremor buried him.

The 27-year-old initially didn't want to go into a hospital to treat a broken foot.

"I was traumatised," said the man, who like many Indonesians goes by one name.

"But people convinced me that the doctors were treating patients outside the building, so I agreed to go."

Thousands left homeless by the quake took to makeshift shelters -- many little more than tarpaulin-covered tents filled with whole families.

They said they were running low on food, blankets and other aid, as emergency supplies were rushed to the hard-hit region.

Many survivors are unable to return to their destroyed homes, or were too scared to go back fearing a tsunami sparked by aftershocks, which are common after strong earthquakes.

"It's better to take shelter before something worse happens," said Mamuju resident Abdul Wahab, from a tent with his wife and four kids, including a baby.

Fearing an outbreak of coronavirus in the crowded camps, authorities were trying to separate high- and lower-risk groups.

"Covid-19 further complicates (the) emergency response," said NGO Project HOPE.



Unlock a world of Benefits with HT! From insightful newsletters to real-time news alerts and a personalized news feed – it's all here, just a click away! - Login Now!

Get Latest World News along with Latest News from India at Hindustan Times.
SHARE THIS ARTICLE ON
Share this article
SHARE
Story Saved
Live Score
OPEN APP
Saved Articles
Following
My Reads
Sign out
New Delhi 0C
Thursday, March 28, 2024
Start 14 Days Free Trial Subscribe Now
Follow Us On