8 people killed, thousands flee in Indonesian earthquake

At least 637 people were injured from the quake that damaged a hotel, the governor’s office, several homes and a local health facility, the agency known as BNPB said in a statement.

Eight people were killed and thousands evacuated after a 6.2 magnitude earthquake struck Indonesia’s West Sulawesi in the early hours Friday, according to the national disaster mitigation management.

The Asian country’s 18,000 islands sit along the Pacific’s “ring of fire” zone of active volcanoes and tectonic faults, making it prone to earthquakes.

At least 637 people were injured from the quake that damaged a hotel, the governor’s office, several homes and a local health facility, the agency known as BNPB said in a statement. About 15,000 people were relocated to 10 locations. It also caused power blackout, disrupted mobile phone networks and cut off road access.

The Asian country’s 18,000 islands sit along the Pacific’s “ring of fire” zone of active volcanoes and tectonic faults, making it prone to earthquakes. The tremor rocked West Sulawesi at 1:28 a.m. Jakarta time on Friday, with epicenter of the quake located 6 kilometers northeast of Majene sea at a depth of 10 kilometers. It didn’t generate a tsunami.

“Residents are still advised to stay away from buildings and beaches” for fear of collapse and a tsunami could still occur in possible aftershocks, Dwikorita Karnawati, Indonesia’s head of Meteorological, Climatological, and Geophysical Agency said in a briefing.

Indonesia’s state energy holding company PT Pertamina Persero reported no meaningful damages to its fuel distributors in Majene and nearby facilities.

The state power firm PT Perusahaan Listrik Negara said it has deployed 123 personnels to restore power, according to a statement. As many as 872 electricity distribution substations were impacted by the quake, and half of them has been normalized.

State-air navigation operator AirNav Indonesia sent backup personnels and communication equipment to reinforce airplane guide because the quake had damaged air traffic controller building at Tampa Padang airport in Mamuju. The navigation services are being transferred to Makassar, South Sulawesi, for the time being, Spokesman Yohanes Harry Douglas Sirait said in a statement.