An earthquake of 6.2 on the Richter scale kills at least 46 people in Indonesia

Indonesia – Damage to roads and bridges, power outages and a lack of equipment hampered rescue workers Saturday after a magnitude 6.2 earthquake on the Indonesian island of Celebes struck the Indonesian island of Celebes, killing at least 46 people and injuring hundreds of others.

The operations targeted about eight locations in the city of Mamuju, which had been most affected and where people reportedly were still trapped after Friday’s earthquake, said Saidar Rahmanjaya, head of the local search and rescue agency.

Cargo planes carrying food, tents, blankets and other supplies from Jakarta landed Friday evening to distribute supplies to temporary shelters. However, thousands of people spent the night outside, afraid of aftershocks and a possible tsunami.

Raditya Jati, a spokesman for the National Disaster Mitigation Agency, said rescue workers recovered the bodies of 37 victims in Mamuju and nine others in Majene district.

At least 415 homes were damaged in Majene and about 15,000 people were transferred to shelters, Jati said.

The bodies recovered by rescue workers were sent to a police hospital to be identified by their families, said Syamsi Ridwan, a spokesman for West Sulawesi police.

He added that more than 200 people were being treated at Bhayangkara Police Hospital and several more in Mamuju. A further 630 people were injured in Majene.

The earthquake caused landslides in three locations and blocked a main road connecting Mamuju to Majene. Telephone and power lines had failed in several areas.