One killed, 15 missing in E. Timor quake<\/p>\n
DILI, East Timor (JP): At least one person was killed, 26
\ninjured and 15 went missing as a tidal wave triggered by a major
\nearth quake struck the island of Timor on Sunday night, officials
\nsaid yesterday.<\/p>\n
The quake, measuring 6.8 on the open-ended Richter scale,
\nstruck here at about 7.30 p.m. on Sunday for about 15 seconds,
\ntriggering tidal waves and sending town residents fleeing out of
\ntheir homes in panic.<\/p>\n
The quake also caused damage to more than 12 houses.
\nThroughout Sunday night, townspeople stayed out of their houses
\nfor fear of aftershocks.<\/p>\n
A woman crushed by the walls of her house died on the way to
\nhospital. Nineteen people with serious injuries were still being
\ntreated at Dili General Hospital yesterday.<\/p>\n
Hospital chief Christian Tillar said that doctors toiled until
\n3 a.m. yesterday trying to save the lives of three critically-
\ninjured people.<\/p>\n
East Timor police chief Col. Andreas Sugianto said 15 people
\nwere still missing. He called on residents to be wary of stronger
\naftershocks.<\/p>\n
Officials of the meteorology and geophysics agency in the East
\nNusa Tenggara capital of Kupang said the quake's epicenter was 33
\nkilometers under the sea and about 150 southeast of Dili.<\/p>\n
Search and rescue workers have been directed to focus their
\nattention on fishing villages on the southern coasts of the
\nprovince, said agency spokesman Ahmad Lani.<\/p>\n
The quake was also felt on Alor island, East Nusa Tenggara,
\nbut there have been no reports of casualties or damage.<\/p>\n
The intensity of the earthquake has been debated. The
\nmeteorology and geophysics agency in Jakarta marked 5.6 on the
\nRichter scale while its office in Kupang recorded it at 6.8.<\/p>\n
In 1992, a quake measuring 7.5 on the Richter scale struck
\nEast Nusa Tenggara, triggering major tidal waves that killed
\nabout 2,500 people. (yac\/pan)<\/p>",
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