The death toll rises to 45 while 190 people are being treated for serious injuries and 15,000 residents have sought shelter.
An aftershock struck the Indonesian island of Sulawesi on Saturday as rescue workers searched for people trapped under rubble after an earthquake killed at least 45 people, injured hundreds and thousands fled terrorism.
The Indonesian Civil Protection Agency announced that one day after the magnitude 6.2 earthquake, no damage or loss was reported from the magnitude 5.0 aftershock in the west Sulawesi districts of Mamuju and Majene.
Earthquake on Friday caused panic among residents of the island that was hit by an earthquake-tsunami disaster in 2018 that killed thousands.
In Mamuju, a town of around 110,000 people, dozens of bodies were dragged out from under crumpled buildings, while others south of the area were killed after the quake.
“The latest data we have is 45,” said Arianto from the Mamuju ambulance service, which, like many Indonesians, has a name.
The toll rose from 42 to 42 on Friday evening.
Authorities have not provided a figure for the number of residents who could be trapped under level buildings, including a hospital that collapsed with more than a dozen patients and staff.
At least one hotel had partially collapsed, while the regional governor’s office also suffered major damage.
Solidarity from the Pope
About 15,000 residents have fled to emergency shelters and nearly 190 people have been treated for serious injuries, local authorities said.
The Pope said he was “sad” to hear about the earthquake.
“His Holiness Pope Francis expresses his heartfelt solidarity with all those affected by this natural disaster,” the Vatican said in a statement.
“He prays for the rest of the deceased, the healing of the injured and the comfort of all who mourn.”
Pictures from Friday’s scene showed residents trying to flee Mamuju on cars and motorcycles as they drove past corrugated iron roofs and other rubble strewn along the roadside.
But landslides, triggered by heavy rains and the quake, blocked the main access road from the coastal city.
The weather department warned residents that the area could be hit by strong aftershocks and that they could avoid the beach in the event of a tsunami.
The city’s airport was also damaged, the authorities said.
The Indonesian Red Cross said it had brought medical supplies and supplies to the scene and its teams had been working to find trapped residents.
The Indonesian Red Cross said it had brought medical supplies and supplies to west Sulawesi and its teams were working to find trapped residents [Mawardi/AFP]Save the Children warned that the boys were among the most at risk.
“Although the extent of the earthquake damage is still unclear, we know that children are often the most vulnerable after a disaster,” it said.
“It will be important that children have priority in any response as they may have witnessed the deaths of loved ones or were separated from their parents.”
The epicenter of the quake was 36 km south of Mamuju and had a relatively shallow depth of 18 km.
Indonesia is often exposed to seismic and volcanic activity due to its location on the Pacific Ring of Fire, where tectonic plates collide.
In 2018, more than 4,300 people died or went missing in a 7.5 magnitude earthquake and subsequent tsunami in Palu, Sulawesi.
On December 26, 2004, a 9.1 magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Sumatra, triggering a tsunami that killed 220,000 people across the region, including around 170,000 in Indonesia.
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