 |
Indonesian earthquake kills 12
September 28, 1997
Web posted at: 9:30 a.m. EDTJAKARTA, Indonesia (CNN) -- A powerful earthquake jolted the Indonesian island of Sulawesi Sunday, killing at least 12 people and leaving 30 others hospitalized, the official Antara news agency said.
Officials fear the death toll could rise.
The magnitude 6.0 quake struck early Sunday when many residents were just beginning to awaken. The Meteorological and Geophysics Agency said the quake was centered about 12 miles (20 km) north of the coastal city of Parepare in South Sulawesi province.
Hundreds of houses and buildings were damaged in Parepare, 870 miles (1,400 km) northeast of the capital Jakarta. Some witnesses said the quake lasted as long as 30 seconds; others said it shook the ground for five seconds.
"Everyone panicked when they felt the quake. They ran from their homes," said police Lt. Pine Peden.
Most of the dead and injured were hit by falling debris from crumbling houses and buildings, he said. Cars and motorcycles were also damaged.
Seven people were reported killed in Parepare, while five died in surrounding districts. Search crews were combing through rubble for survivors throughout the region.
"There are a number of serious injuries so there is a possibility the death toll could rise. We are also still waiting for reports from some other areas," regional police chief Col. Toto Suwali said.
The quake was the latest in a series of calamities to hit Indonesia. A jetliner crashed Friday on the island of Sumatra, killing all 234 aboard.
And the country is still shrouded in thick haze and smoke from hundreds of smoldering forest fires in Indonesia. The worst drought in half a century brought famine and disease to some parts of the country.
An earthquake of magnitude 6.0 can cause considerable damage if centered in an urban area. Parepare is the second largest city in South Sulawesi and has a population of 100,000.
Indonesia is prone to earthquakes because it is situated on the so-called Pacific "Ring of Fire," which stretches from North America across the north Pacific, through Japan and Southeast Asia to New Zealand.
Related stories:
- 'Ring of Fire' rumbles back to life - October 18, 1995
- Aftershocks follow deadly quake - October 8, 1995
Related sites:
Note: Pages will open in a new browser windowExternal sites are not endorsed by CNN Interactive.
|
Sound off on our message boardsYou said it... |
|
© 1997 Cable News Network, Inc.
All Rights Reserved.