Quake measuring 5.72 on Richter Scale jolts Ambon<\/p>\n
AMBON, Maluku (JP): A strong earthquake jolted Ambon city on
\nMonday, but there were no immediate reports of damage or
\ncasualties, the Meteorology and Geophysics Agency (BMG) said.<\/p>\n
\"The quake was 5.72 on the Richter Scale and hit Ambon at 2:52
\np.m. local time,\" BMG spokesman Waan Tarmin said in a report on
\nMonday.<\/p>\n
The epicenter was about 100 kilometers beneath the Banda Sea,
\nlocated about six kilometers west of Ambon and a number of
\naftershocks were felt, he said.<\/p>\n
A second quake took place hours later around 8:30 p.m. local
\ntime.<\/p>\n
Local residents said the temblor created panic in the town.<\/p>\n
\"In the afternoon, there were two aftershocks within a space
\nof four minutes.<\/p>\n
\"The defense posts built near the military sector headquarters
\non Jl. A.Y. Patty collapsed due to the strength of the quake. But
\nluckily nobody was injured,\" officer Akmil Darmawi of the Ambon
\nSecurity Sector said minutes after the tremor took place.<\/p>\n
Several houses sustained cracks in their walls while afternoon
\nschool was called off and the students told to go home early.<\/p>\n
\"We are afraid as most of the buildings here are in a poor
\ncondition as the result of over two years of disturbances.<\/p>\n
\"Many structures have been razed by fire or parts of them
\nblasted by bombs or mortars. They could collapse anytime due to
\nan earthquake,\" a local resident said.<\/p>\n
Indonesia, the world's largest archipelagic nation, is the
\nscene of frequent seismic upheavals.<\/p>\n
The quake-prone province of Bengkulu was also shaken by three
\nmedium temblors over the weekend with magnitudes of between 5.0
\nand 5.5 on the Richter scale, but there were no immediate reports
\nof casualties or damage, BMG officials said Monday.<\/p>\n
A massive tremor measuring 7.3 on the Richter scale struck
\nBengkulu in June of last year, killing at least 94 people and
\ninjuring thousands.<\/p>\n
Back in Maluku, after weeks of fragile calm the sound of
\ngunfire and explosions again reverberated around the streets of
\nthe capital Ambon on Sunday as three bombs exploded near the
\nWijaya II Hotel in the restive no-man's-land between Batu Merah
\nand Mardika at around 5 p.m. local time.<\/p>\n
The bombs appeared to be aimed at two security posts in the
\narea occupied respectively by Joint Battalion personnel and East
\nJava's 521\/Brawijaya infantry battalion. Shots were also fired
\nresulting in damage to several cars.<\/p>\n
\"The shots and the three bombs were aimed at the security
\nposts located at the Wijaya II Hotel and the one near the Union
\nbuilding. The duty officers at the posts returned fire,\" chief of
\nAmbon Sector\/I Col. Ngakan Gede Sugiartha told The Jakarta Post
\nby phone from Ambon.<\/p>\n
It turned out later that the shots and explosions were the
\nwork of a police officer named Mosad who was celebrating his
\nwedding in the predominantly-Muslim Batu Merah area, he said.<\/p>\n
\"We don't mind people celebrating events and the firing off of
\nsalvos is OK in normal situations, but what he did was crazy. Why
\nthe heck did he have to use bombs to celebrate a wedding party?\"
\nhe asked.<\/p>\n
Secretary-general of the Indonesian Ulemas Council (MUI) Malik
\nSelang separately expressed his regret over the incident.<\/p>\n
Malik also said that in Friday's dispute in Leihitu between
\nlocal Muslims, a man named Nyon Nunlehu died at the Al Fatah
\nHospital of severe bleeding after being stabbed.<\/p>\n
Relatives of the dead man from Hitu were enraged by the death
\nand took revenge by burning down Wanath hamlet with its more than
\n40 houses. (edt\/49)<\/p>",
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