Monday, January 05, 2009

PAPUA: Strong Quake Hit Indonesia

A series of powerful earthquakes have killed at least four people, among them a 10 year old girl, and injured 37 people in remote eastern Indonesia, cut power lines and flattened a hotel and destroyed buildings. Tremors did not send any tsunamis but many buildings collapsed. The first 7.6-magnitude quake struck at 4.43am (0643 AEDT) on Sunday on land about 150km from Manokwari, Papua, at a depth of 35km, the US Geological Survey said. It was followed by 10 aftershocks.

The Indonesian Meteorology and Seismology Agency issued a tsunami alert but revoked it within an hour. People fled their homes in panic fearing a tsunami, said a local police official.
Tremors sent small tsunamis into Japan's south-eastern coast but no damages were reported

The initial jolt was followed by several post quakes during the night with strongest the 7.5 magnitude quake in the morning said Indonesia's Meteorology and Seismology Agency.

The National Disaster Coordination Agency said many buildings were badly damaged or collapsed while power lines fell cutting off electricity to 160.000 houses Manokwari, near the quake's epicenter. One of the buildings of Mutiara hotel complex collapsed and three people were rescued from the rubble.

Source: Strong Quake Hit Indonesia ΕΡΤ ΑNA-ΜPA, Reuters,BBC

related:

VIDEO: Deadly quake hits Indonesia
Reuters
Series of powerful quakes kills 4 in Indonesia Washington Post