Powerful quake kills 23 people in Papua<\/p>\n
Nethy Dharma Somba, The Jakarta Post, Jayapura, Papua<\/p>\n
A powerful earthquake rocked the isolated town of Nabire in Papua
\nprovince on Friday, killing at least 23 people and injuring
\nhundreds of others with 33 of them sustaining severe injuries.<\/p>\n
The disaster forced panicky residents to flee their homes and
\ncamp out in the streets for fears of aftershocks.<\/p>\n
The quake measuring 6.9 Richter scale destroyed or damaged
\nhundreds of houses, offices and public facilities including the
\nNabire General Hospital, the local legislative council building,
\nthe district court and the airport's tower.<\/p>\n
Local people said telephone lines connecting Nabire, on the
\nnorthern coast of Papua, with other regions were disrupted, while
\nthe town was also hit briefly by a power blackout after the
\nearthquake.<\/p>\n
The quake resulted in a fire that gutted at least six of the
\naffected houses there. The blaze was believed to come from a
\nkerosene-fueled stove.<\/p>\n
"A resident was cooking at the time of the earthquake. A stove
\nused for cooking was then upturned as a result of the tremor, so
\nthat kerosene poured out causing a fire," local villager Wirda
\nFakaubun told The Jakarta Post.<\/p>\n
There were no reports of fatalities caused by the fire.<\/p>\n
Police and residents said that the 23 victims were killed
\nafter being hit by the debris of collapsing buildings.<\/p>\n
Many residents were still afraid to stay at home because of
\npossible aftershocks. They instead set up makeshift tents outside
\ntheir houses.<\/p>\n
"Indonesian Military officers are busy erecting tents outside
\nthe hospital to treat patients because the hospital itself is
\nalso badly damaged by the quake," Wirda said.<\/p>\n
Police and soldiers also helped evacuate all the patients,
\nincluding the 12 most seriously injured ones, into tents.<\/p>\n
The 12 most seriously injured patients were later flown to a
\nhospital in Biak regency.<\/p>\n
Although the runway of Nabire's airport was damaged, a medical
\nteam managed to land and brought first-aid kits, tents and
\nintravenous drips for the victims.<\/p>\n
Sudaryono, operational division head of the Papua Meteorology
\nand Geophysics Agency (BMG), said the quake hit at 6:05 a.m. for
\naround 30 seconds.<\/p>\n
The epicenter was about seven kilometers east of Nabire and 80
\nkilometers deep, he added.<\/p>\n
He said tremors were also felt in Biak and other neighboring
\nregencies of Enarotali, Manokwari and Wamena.<\/p>\n
Aftershocks hit Nabire seven times until 7 p.m. local time,
\nSudaryono said.<\/p>\n
BMG officials in Jakarta said at least one bridge was damaged,
\nand walls and roads cracked in the quake.<\/p>\n
State-owned oil company Pertamina said the earthquake damaged
\npipelines at their depot in the town and caused fuel leaks.<\/p>\n
Local villagers had reported a tidal wave, in the nearby
\nCendrawasih Bay, but officials could not confirm this.<\/p>\n
Papua Governor Jaap Salossa is expected to arrive at the scene
\non Saturday to coordinate rescue operations.<\/p>\n
France's earth sciences observatory in Strasbourg was quoted
\nby AFP as saying it was the largest quake measured in the region
\nsince 2000.<\/p>\n
On Oct. 10, 2002, a tectonic earthquake rocked Ransiki area in
\nManokwari, claiming the lives of at least three people and
\ndamaging hundreds of houses.<\/p>\n
The quake measuring 7.6 on the Richter scale also cut off the
\nroad connecting Ransiki with Manokwari.<\/p>\n
In 1996 a powerful quake hit Biak and Manokwari, causing a
\nmajor tsunami that ripped through hundreds of houses in coastal
\nareas. At least 96 people were reported dead.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, is
\nvulnerable to earthquakes and volcanic eruptions because of its
\nlocation on the Pacific "ring of fire" -- volcanic arcs and
\noceanic trenches partly encircling the Pacific Basin.<\/p>\n
A quake measuring 6.8 on the Richter scale shook parts of the
\nMaluku islands on Jan. 29, but no major damage or casualties were
\nreported.<\/p>\n
On Jan. 2 parts of the resort islands of Bali and Lombok were
\nhit by a quake measuring 6.1 on the Richter scale, which damaged
\nmore than 6,000 buildings.<\/p>",
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