Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN)At least 67 people have died after a 6.2-magnitude earthquake hit Indonesia’s Sulawesi island early Friday, according to the head of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent societies in Indonesia.
Jan Gelfand told CNN on Friday that he expects the death toll and number of missing people to increase.Hundreds have been injured, according to the country’s disaster mitigation agency.The epicenter of the quake, which struck at 1:28 am Jakarta time, was six kilometers (3.7 miles) northeast of the city of Majene, at a depth of 10 kilometers (6.2 miles), according to Indonesia’s Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency.Thirty-four people died in the city of Mamuju, to the north of the epicenter, while another eight died in Majene.In Majene, at least 637 were injured and 15,000 residents have been displaced, according to the country’s National Board for Disaster Management (BNPB).Thousands of residents fled their homes to seek safety following the quake, which could be felt strongly for five to seven seconds and damaged at least 300 houses in Majene, BNPB said.Other buildings have also been badly damaged, including a military command office in Majene, and hotels and government buildings in Mamuju.Many people are still trapped under collapsed buildings, according to local search and rescue teams.
Source: Indonesia earthquake: strong quake in Sulawesi kills at least 42, injures hundreds – CNN
