At least 24 people killed in earthquake in Indonesia

A 6.2 magnitude earthquake on the Indonesian island of Sulawesi killed at least 24 people and injured hundreds on Friday. This reports the BNPB Disaster Relief Service in West Sulawesi. According to the Reuters news agency, there are at least 35 dead.

The disaster relief service expects the death toll to rise as emergency services are not yet on site throughout the disaster area. Local media report several buildings where people are said to be locked up. Thousands of people have fled their homes, according to the BNPB.

The earthquake took place around 1:30 a.m. local time, at a depth of 10 kilometers. The earthquake caused several landslides. The epicenter of the earthquake was 6 kilometers northeast of Majene, the regency capital of the island of the same name.

The region was also struck by a magnitude 5.9 earthquake on Thursday, but authorities say no one was injured. According to a BNBP spokesperson, there is no reason to fear tsunamis at the moment, but possible aftershocks could cause major tidal waves from the sea.

Ring of fire

Earthquakes are more common in Indonesia, as the country is located on the so-called Pacific Ring of Fire, a horseshoe-shaped area around the Pacific Ocean that stretches from New Zealand to South America. The ring contains 452 volcanoes, of which 128 are active and 65 are classified as dangerous.

In 2018, more than four thousand people lost their lives by a magnitude 7.7 earthquake, which caused a tsunami and several landslides. A very severe seaquake in the Indian Ocean in 2004 killed at least 230,000 people, more than half of whom lived in Indonesia.